


Just Smile and Make Believe (I don't feel a thing)

by Madd4the24



Category: GOT7, Kpop - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Betrayal, Drama, Family Loss, M/M, Politics, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-12
Updated: 2015-08-30
Packaged: 2018-03-22 13:51:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 151,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3731263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madd4the24/pseuds/Madd4the24
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a deadly attack Mark finds himself the new head of his vampire bloodline. With the killer still on the loose, and tensions with humans at an all time high, Mark finds fragile trust in Jackson, his loud but honest classmate, and Zhou Mi, the quiet upperclassmen steeped in secrets. But trusting the wrong person could get Mark killed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Just a couple of quick notes before we get started!
> 
> This fic was born from my dissatisfaction of how vampire fics in kpop tend to focus most heavily on a romantic aspect, and not much else. While everyone loves a good romance, I wanted a story that was a bit deeper, dealing with tradition, honor, family, responsibility and essentially what happens when you have severe tension between two different groups of species with high political and cultural ramifications. This isn't exactly an episode of The West Wing, but within this story you'll find a lot of political maneuvering by certain characters and an examination of social inequality that attempts to work as an allegory to our own society. So what I plainly mean is that while there’s plenty of kissing in this story, it’s about bigger themes and bigger ideas than who’s attracted to who. If you just want the kissing, this story may not be for you.
> 
> Also, as this is a fantasy AU, characters will be of different ages and related to each other in unrealistic ways. The narrative will take time to explain everything and hopefully there’s absolutely no confusion, but as always, I adore engaging with the readers, so if there are any questions or matters you want to discus, I always reply back to comments left.
> 
> Lastly, this story will primarily update on Sundays. I have a pretty hectic RL, I work full time, and on top of that, I work a late night shift, which means I sleep during the day. When I’m not sleeping, I’m doing human things like grocery shopping or reading for fun. Barring any disasters, updates will come out on Sundays.
> 
> Now enough of that. Onward to the story!

Something big was going on, Mark could tell, because his mother hardly ever got dressed up. She was more of a jeans and tee-shirt kind of girl, much preferring to dig out in her garden and chase Mark and his siblings around than to wear fancy dresses and sit around entertaining the other ladies in the area. In fact Mark had only seen her host a soiree a few times in his life, out of necessity for his sister Grace’s introduction, then his sister Tammy’s. And even those had ended with his mom ducking out early and holing up in her studio to paint what Mark considered some of her best works to this day. It seemed escaping her the world of fancy parties and glinting jewels stirred her creativity.

But she was wearing a dress now, more like a gown, and as Mark watched her carefully apply her jewelry in the mirror, he thought she looked absolutely gorgeous. His mother was a little timeless, in all actually, with a strikingly youthful face that was round but slim, and wide hazel eyes that were the object of many compliments. She carried herself with grace and ease and absolutely commanded respect wherever she went. She was a queen, and Mark was constantly awed by her.

“Mom,” he eased out, watching her from across the room. He had his socked feet crossed in front of him as he sat on the settee in front of his parent’s massive bed, watching her at the vanity mirror. “Are you and dad going out?”

“No, darling. Not really.”

She fussed a little with her curled hair and he was quick to say, “You look perfect.”

Summer was almost over and they were inching towards August, which Mark knew meant full well that he’d be going back to school shortly. He’d barely see her, with his junior year on the horizon, especially if he took any of the special elective classes that his father was pushing for. The kind of classes that could boost him into a more prospective spot for next year’s collect application season.

Mark wasn’t even sure he wanted to go to college, but that was probably a moot point. Tammy had already finished her first year of college and loved it, and Grace was close to completing her degree with full honors. That seemed enough to set their father off down the path that college was for all his children.

“Thank you, darling.” His mother turned from the mirror and headed towards him, her dress rustling as she walked. It was a gown full of taffeta and cut flatteringly, as if she’d be dancing at a ball soon or looking to impress. Queens wore these kinds of dresses, with a bodice pulled tight to her slim figure and much too much cleavage for Mark’s eyes. 

He wondered if all teenage boys felt so overprotective of their mothers. Certainly not the ones who had mothers who could take care of any possible threat, and still look good doing it. Mark’s mother fell into that category, but still he worried about how she’d draw eyes.

Voice trembling a little, like it always did when the subject came up, Mark asked in a low voice, “Is there a … meeting tonight?”

He felt a little foolish saying it, because it would have been obvious if there were an officially planned meeting of any sort. People would have been coming from all over for days now, and Mark would’ve had cousins and friends to play with. Not his two sisters who were seemingly too old to pay him any attention now, and his younger brother who equally wasn’t interested in him in the least bit.

“Darling,” his mother said, bending to kiss the top of his head. “Your father and I do have business to attend to tonight. You’ll be good for Tammy, won’t you? You’re a good boy. Try your best to keep your brother out of trouble.”

Tammy. If Tammy was being left in charge, likely to spend the night talking to her boyfriend on the phone while binging on sugary treats they were only supposed to have in moderation, it meant that Grace was ….

“I thought you said it wasn’t a meeting,” Mark asked, eyebrows furrowed in distracting frustration. “You’re taking Grace with you?”

Grace went with their parents a couple times a month for official business, because she’d already been introduced, and because she was her mother’s heir. Grace going with them, for any reason, meant something was up.

Before his mother could answer, or maybe deny him an answer, the bedroom door opened and his father swept into the room. He was dressed in a midnight black suit, looking clean cut and very handsome. Well, the cravat was a bit much, but Mark understood tradition and circumstance.

“Are you almost ready?” his father asked, then stopped short the moment he got a look at Mark’s mother. His face crumpled, looking softer than ever, and he likely didn’t notice Mark at all as he said, “You look absolutely stunning, wife.”

“You’re quite dashing yourself, husband.”

Mark flopped back on the bed as the kissing started. Some of his friends complained that their parents were always fighting, and a lot of them had divorced parents. Mark knew his parents were desperately and deeply in love with each other, even so many years after their marriage. It was a nice thing, to know how much stability they brought to the family, but they could go overboard with the kissing. They liked to kiss a lot.

“Mom,” Mark eased out, rolling to his side and propping his head up with an open palm. “You’ll mess your makeup.”

She laughed and broke away from Mark’s father, stating, “Of course you’re right, darling. Give me a moment more, husband.”

“Mark,” his father said, coming to sit next to him on the settee. “When your mother and I come back, sometime tomorrow, I want to talk to you about your introduction.”

Mark groaned and attempted to turn invisible. If ever there was a moment to develop sudden superpowers …

His father cuffed him lightly over the back of the head, playful enough that Mark knew he was still in the man’s favor. Truthfully, even when his father was mad at him, he never really fell out of favor. Mark was closer with his mother, that was certain, but his father always took special care with him. They didn’t need words and could sit in each other’s company for long periods of time, and had complimenting personalities for the most part. His father could be pushy, but it was always for Mark’s benefit. 

Not everyone was lucky enough to have parents like Mark did, and he recognized the fact.

“Don’t make that noise,” his father said, white gloved fingers tapping Mark’s knee. “Your birthday is coming up. Just a few months. Like it or not, it’s time for your introduction. Don’t look so glum. Your sisters survived. You will too.”

Grace and Tammy had thrived during their introductions, possibly because they both liked all the attention, but also because they were intended for great things. They were his mother’s heirs, even Tammy who was second born. Mark and his brother Joey, to a degree, had been surprises, not at all expected, though not unwanted.

“Why can’t I just--” his question was cut off, likely a pointless question, when his mother swept back into the room and stole his father’s complete attention.

“Perfect,” his father said, getting to his feet. Mark had thought his father was speaking about his mother, who did look so perfect she was almost doll like, but then he continued, “I’m glad we understand each other, Mark. We’ll talk more tomorrow. There’ll be lots of planning to get done.”

“Dad,” Mark called after him, then stopped and let his shoulders fall. It was better to leave the fight for another day and not upset his parents. Especially not before they went wherever they were going, so dressed up and looking immaculate.

“Darling,” his mother said, holding a hand out for him. “See me downstairs?”

With a frown Mark got to his feet, hurrying to her side and taking the offered hand. “Okay.”

With his father in the lead, Mark walked his mother the long distance from the master bedroom to the front of the house, passing by Joey who had his door open and was screaming into a headset, captivated by the game on the TV in front of him. He shouted a goodbye at them, but never blinked from the game, a rope of licorice dangling from the side of his mouth. 

“That boy,” his father sighed out, but there was a smile on his face. No one ever doubted that Joey was the baby of the family, and therefore got even more leeway than typical. 

There was a man standing in the foyer, dressed almost identical to Mark’s father, save for a blood red cravat. Mark’s father’s was blue and much more flattering. But a half second later none of it mattered as Mark recognized who the man was.

“Uncle!”

Mark let go of his mother’s hand and she let it happen with predictable ease. He dashed down the foyer and threw himself into his uncle’s arms, squeezing tightly to the man he hadn’t seen in well over a year.

“Mark,” his uncle chuckled, patting his back comfortingly. “I swear, you grow a head taller every time I see you. You’re going to be your father’s height soon.”

Mark beamed. His uncle was by far the coolest person Mark knew. His uncle always wanted to have fun and take him new and exciting places. His uncle showered him with attention and gifts and truly made him feel special. If his mother doted on his sisters, and his father was extra lenient towards his brother, then at least Mark had his uncle.

“Marcus.”

There was something heavy in his father’s tone that had Mark looking back to him with a strange feeling. 

It was very obvious to Mark, though never said aloud, that there was tension between his father and uncle. It was the only kind of familial tension that Mark could ever recall existing. He could, if he wanted to, trace the genesis of the animosity, but it dipped into the kind of territory Mark had no place being in, so for the most part, he tried not to think about it. He was his uncle Marcus’ namesake, and his mother’s beloved brother, but there was little affection between his father and uncle. 

His uncle seemingly ignored his father and offered Mark a wink. “Your introduction is coming up, isn’t it?”

Mark nodded wordlessly, being sure to keep his eyes from drifting to his father. He hated that his uncle’s attention to his introduction made him just a bit more excited for it, and he didn’t want to hurt his father’s feelings by allowing it to show. 

“Marcus,” his father said again.

Then his mother added, “Marcus, brother, we would love to discuss Mark’s introduction with you at a later date. But we don’t want to be late, do we?”

His uncle grinned widely at Mark’s mother and the resemblance between them was almost ridiculous. They both had the same shaped faces, the same button nose, the same shade of honey colored hair, the same height, the same clear complexion, and so much more. Never did Mark think fraternal twins had looked so much alike.

“Nonsense,” his uncle said, settling a hand on the top of Mark’s head. “An introduction is something that happens only once, and it should be special for Mark. So tell me, Mark, what would you like as a gift?”

Gruffly, his father said, “Gifts are not the point of an introduction.”

“Neither are they the point of Christmas, but they’re still the highlight.” 

Mark’s father drew himself up, which mean a fight was likely coming, it almost always did when the two men were together, but then his mother cut in skillfully and said, “There’s Grace. Grace, peach, you’re running late.”

Mark’s eyes drifted to his sister coming down the stairs, one hand on the banister. She took careful steps in her heels, looking every bit like the royalty she was.

While his parents flocked to her side, complimenting her on how she looked, Mark felt his uncle lean down and press his mouth near his ear, whispering, “There’s a surprise waiting for you outside.”

“Uncle,” Mark eased out, trying not to flush at their proximity. “I’m not supposed to go outside.”

Mark could almost feel his uncle roll his eyes as he said, “You know you and your home are under my protection.”

More like his mother’s protection, but Mark understood. The men that patrolled the grounds, checked and double checked the house each hour, and were attentive to any problem, were undeniably reliable. They’d never let anything happen. There hadn’t been a breech in security the entire time Mark had been alive. At least not on the property. He could wander our anywhere on the property and be under their watchful gaze.

“My parents won’t want me to,” Mark found himself saying. At least not with them gone and unable to sweep in at even the slightest chance of danger.

His uncle nudged him playfully. “You’re a teenager, Mark. Live a little. Your sister will hardly notice if you attend to your present. Which, I might add, is waiting very patiently near the car garage. Who knows how long this present’s patience will last, however.”

His uncle’s words were something to chew on. Tammy likely wouldn’t miss him, not for a second, if she even bothered to check on him at all. And his uncle was eluding to his present being a person, which meant that if they were on the property, they weren’t a threat to his life.

“We’re leaving now, darling,” his mother said. She took him by he shoulders and pressed a kiss to each of his cheeks, then his forehead. He was getting too old for her open displays of affection, but because she was so very important to him, he allowed it. “Please behave yourself. We may not be back for a while.”

A little alarmed, Mark asked, “Before sunrise, right?”

“Before sunrise, darling.”

His father gave him a warning look as their group left. Mark recognized it all too well, and it was almost enough to stave off all thoughts of whatever present his uncle had for him.

Almost.

To his credit, Mark waited until the car they’d left in, the one that had been parked right out front the door, was long gone and the taillights were only a distant memory. Then he waited and listened for the sound of his brother still playing his game and his sister talking on what had to be the phone.

And then, after pacing a bit, panicking for a moment, and almost bailing completely, Mark made the executive decision to take his uncle’s advice and live for a moment.

It wasn’t hard to leave the house. It wasn’t difficult in the least bit. And even though he could feel eyes on him the second he stepped out through the front door, he ignored everything. His family’s security wouldn’t dare approach him without there being significant cause to.

It was a quick run to the car garage where his father kept the automobiles he’d collected over the decades, a show of opulence that his father didn’t normally engage in. His mother said his father was nostalgic to a fault, and sometimes Mark believed her.

“Psst!”

Mark skidded to a stop.

“Over here!”

The moment Mark’s eyes settled on the figure making the sound, his eyes widened and he felt the same rush of pleasure that he had with his uncle.

“Henry!”

Mark threw himself at his cousin and was caught easily, pulled off his feet and enveloped in a warm hug.

“Henry! You’re here!”

Henry, who was thin but tall, and in possession of blond colored hair as opposed to his usual brunet, was Mark’s absolute favor cousin. His uncle’s only child, his cousin Henry was fun and energetic and had invited him to be a playmate since they’d been children, despite the four year difference between them. 

“You’re my present?” Mark inquired, an arm still hanging around Henry’s neck. It didn’t feel odd at all to be intimate with the person who’d been his best friend growing up. At least until the rift between Mark’s father and uncle had grown so severe that his uncle had moved himself and Henry far, far away. The cover story was that they’d left on business, but the one and only time Mark had heard his parents fight, it had been over the move. His mother blamed his father, and she hadn’t spoken to him for almost a week. His father had gone away on a work trip and his mother had pruned nearly the whole estate before they’d even begun inching their way back to each other.

“Not even!” a new voice called out, and suddenly Mark was hugging someone new. 

“Amber!” he laughed out. “You’re here too?”

If Mark adored Henry, he absolutely loved Amber. Amber was twice the fun Henry was, the first to jump into a new experience or suggest a wild adventure, and also the first to take the blame if it went terribly wrong. She was strong and upfront and when she got herself all dolled up, once a year or so for the annual Christmas party, she was so breathtakingly gorgeous that she maybe even looked more beautiful than Mark’s mother.

Henry and Amber had been in love for as long as Mark could remember, and were a gentle and important reminder to Mark that arranged matches could work. Of course there were a dozen examples of matches going horribly wrong, but Henry and Amber were a more modern example of it working, and it gave Mark some hope. 

It wasn’t all that uncommon, in the circles they traveled in, to have arranged matches. And in fact Mark’s eldest sister was set to be married in only a few years, and she hadn’t chosen her match. The same would likely be for Tammy, if only to preserve their bloodline from things that Mark heard his uncle often call impurities. 

His mother had promised him, absolutely sworn to him, that he wouldn’t face the same lack of autonomy, but Mark didn’t quite believe her. There was a good chance he’d end up being matched before he even realized what was happening, maybe even at his introduction. If he got lucky, and got stuck in a match, he might know the person he was supposed to marry. They might have a friendship of sorts already, and it would make the intimacy that followed easier. Mark couldn’t imagine giving himself to a stranger.

“Earth to Mark,” Amber called out, knocking her knuckles against the side of Mark’s head. “You okay in there?”

“Just thinking,” he eased out with a grin. “What are you guys doing here?”

“Summer vacation,” Henry said easily, leaning back on what Mark saw was a car that didn’t belong to his family. Henry noticed and asked, “Like it? My father got it for me. Everyone loves a little bribery.”

Mark circled the car, noting the sleek lines and comfortable looking interior. It must have cost a pretty penny. “Bribery for what?”

It was Amber who answered, jumping up on the hood to have a seat. “Good grades. Good behavior. Taking care of you. Take your pick.”

“Me?” Mark wondered.

“Anyway,” Henry said, twirling the car keys around a finger, “like I said, summer vacation. I knew father was coming here, to see Auntie and Uncle, and I wanted to see you. It’s been about a year now, hasn’t it? It’s hard to go so long without seeing my favorite cousin.” Henry twirled the keys a few more times, then tossed them unexpectedly to Mark.

“Hey!” He fumbled the keys for a moment, then caught them awkwardly.

“Want to take the car out for a spin? You can drive.”

“Drive!” Mark’s eyes bulged. “I only just got my permit, and that took ages of begging. My parents think I’m going to end up in a car wreck or something. They never let me drive.”

“I’m not your parents,” Henry said, holding a hand out to Amber to help her off the car. “And you know it’d take a lot more than that to kill us. So, what do you say?”

Mark clutched the keys in his palm. “I’m not supposed to leave the estate. I’m not even supposed to be outside right now. My parents don’t like it when they aren’t here.”

Henry gave him a long, withered look. “I know Auntie and Uncle are very overprotective of you, but you know this area is safe. You know we’re in a safe zone. Nothing is going to happen, other than us getting the wind in our hair for a little and maybe some awesome ice cream.”

Mark tried to pride himself on following the rules and not getting into trouble. His mother and father couldn’t afford to raise children who couldn’t be respectful and diligent. And Mark knew the consequences of being even a little mischievous. He wasn’t like Henry who could bend the rules, or Amber who could break them. He was Mark.

He was also tired of being that way.

“We can’t be gone for long,” Mark said, and Henry gave a whoop and shout of victory. “My parents are going to be back before sunrise. Maybe just an hour or two, okay?”

Amber cheered victory and popped the trunk.

Frowning, Mark asked, “What’s that for?”

Henry laughed and stated, you know we have to sneak you out. Now get in. we’ll let you out the second we clear the property. Time’s wasting, cousin.”

They ended up driving down the highway with the top down on the car. At first Mark had been absolutely terrified to even push the car to half its limit, but eventually he’d loosened up, and was thoroughly enjoying himself.

He put one hand out to the side, feeling the wind cut through his fingers sharply, almost giving him the sensation of flight. 

After a quick glance in his rearview, he called out, “Are you two just going to make out back there!”

It wasn’t actually bothering him, seeing nothing but their kissing faces. In fact, it only made him happier. He couldn’t wait for their wedding next year, and all the adorable children that they’d eventually have. It made Mark happy to see Henry so in love, especially with someone like Amber who was so good for him.

“Don’t be jealous,” Amber said, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to the side of Mark’s head. “I’ll kiss you, too.”

Mark felt heat flash across his face. That wasn’t the kind of kiss he’d been dreaming about lately, and certainly not from Amber, no matter how attractive she was. No, he’d been dreaming about someone entirely new for himself, of his own choosing, who’d smile at him like there was no one else in the world, and want to hold his hand in public, and care about him the way Amber cared about Henry.

“Pull off here!” Henry called out, startling Mark a little. “Ice cream!”

It was amazing what getting a couple scoops of ice cream, and then driving to a deserted stretch of road could do for Mark. He felt freer than he had in months, and as he ate his cone, staring up at the stars above him, he felt revitalized in a way.

“I’ve never done this before,” Henry said, laying next to Mark, Amber on his other side. The three of them took up the entire space of the car’s hood, still warm from the engine. 

“Laid around and done nothing?” Mark asked in jest. “I hardly doubt that.”

Henry gave him a poke to he side. “No, I mean I’ve never just looked up at the stars before. I’ve never just looked at them. How weird is that?”

Mark’s eyes flitted between constellations, some he knew and others he didn’t. Some stars were brighter than others, but all of them were brilliant. “I don’t think it’s weird. I don’t remember the last time I did this. Not since I was a kid.”

Amber volunteered, “It’s kind of hypnotic.”

In a way, Mark supposed it was.

They watched the stars in silence for a while more, time passing in the blink of an eye for them. 

“Henry,” Mark asked eventually, sitting up and pulling his knees towards his chest. “Why did your father come? Where did our parents go tonight? Grace went with them so it had to be something important.”

“I know,” Henry said with an easy shrug, an arm wrapped around Amber. “But I’m not supposed to tell you.”

Indignantly, Mark protested, “Why not? Because I haven’t been introduced yet?”

“Partly,” Henry shrugged. “Technically, you’re still a child. At least in the eyes of the council, and you know that means you don’t get to know anything.”

“Partly?”

“All right,” Amber said, cutting into their conversation smoothly. “It’s getting late. Henry, you know we can’t keep Mark out so late. Sunrise is in less than an hour.”

“What!” Mark’s eyes snapped to the watch the wore on his wrist, last year’s birthday present from Joey. “How’d it get so late! My parents are going to kill me if they beat me back!”

The drive back seemed to take forever, especially as Mark’s nerves were too wrecked for him to even think about driving. Instead he was confined to the back seat where his leg bounced idly, desperately wishing Henry would drive faster. 

“Calm down,” Henry advised, taking the last corner before Mark could see his home. “You know if your parents were already home they’d be blaming my father right away for orchestrating all this, and they’d be blowing up my phone and yours. You’re in the clear. Stop worrying. Stop--”

Mark jerked forward as Henry slammed on the breaks, the car skidding loudly across the asphalt. 

“What the heck are you doing!” Mark demanded, feeling woozy from the sudden stop.

“Oh, god,” Amber said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“What?” Mark demanded. “Are you okay?”

“Your house,” Henry said, voice shaking. “Mark. Your house.”

When Mark finally looked, the house clear through the break in the road, all he could see was red. 

Red flames.

He barely remembered what came after. Only that he’d been screaming, yelling and crying. He’d roared in pain and anguish until his throat went numb from pain. And then there was running. He’d been running, dashing towards death, stumbling past bodies and blood and destruction. 

All to get to the house. To his family. To Tammy who always seemed to care more about her boyfriend than her siblings, but who was the first tone to stay up with him when he wasn’t feeling good and rub his back all through the night. And Joey, who acted like Mark wasn’t cool enough to be seen with in public, but still asked his opinion on everything and sought his approval far more than their father’s.

“Mark!” Henry screamed from behind him.

And when Mark was just close enough to feel the searing pain from the fire, Henry tackled him, taking them both down to the ground.

“Get off me!” Mark was screaming, then he was fighting. He was biting and clawing and kicking and doing everything in his power to get the weight off him. To get up and get to the house.

Henry rolled more fully on him, shouting loudly, “Stop! You have to stop!”

How could he have left? How could he have been so selfish as to leave and make his family vulnerable?

“Please,” someone called out, and this time it was Amber, helping to press him down against the earth. “They’re … gone. It’s too late. You can’t go in! You’ll die if you do!”

“They’re not dead!” 

With a burst of strength Mark threw them both off him and lunged one last time for the burning remains of his house.

Henry slammed into him again, just in time. He held Mark tight with every bit of strength he had in his body and promised into his ear, “I won’t let you die. I won’t let anything happen to you. I’m here. You’re okay.”

“My family,” Mark choked out, tears quickly surfacing. “Joey and Tammy.”

“Sleep,” Henry said, his hand across Mark’s forehead. “Sleep.”

Mark felt the unnatural push into unconsciousness, and then nothing else.

When he did wake next, slowly and feeling like he was broken, it was to Amber’s empathetic face and a cool compress to his forehead.

“Mark?” she asked quietly, the room almost pitch black. “Are you--”

“Don’t ask me if I’m okay,” he told her flatly. The sight of his burning house seemed seared into his retina, along with the scattered, dead bodies of the people expected to protect his family. “I’m not okay.”

“I know,” she returned gently, dabbing at his forehead. “I know.”

He stared up at the ceiling, wondering if anything would ever be okay again. How would he recover from such a loss? How would his parents?

“Amber?” he ventured, his hand searching for hers until their fingers were linked. “Has someone told my parents? Do they know?”

The lingering silence told Mark something horrible, he just didn’t know what.

The door to the room he was in, whomever’s it belonged to, opened softly and closed just as quietly. 

“Henry,” he heard Amber say, and then he lost his grip on her hand as she turned to Henry, stood, and then hugged him tightly. “You shouldn’t be here. You should be with your father … just in case.”

“No,” Henry said, voice sounding heavy like Mark felt. “I need to be the one … I have to tell Mark. Before he finds out from anyone else.”

“Do you think now is the time?” she asked.

“Tell me what?” Mark asked, worn and weary. What could possibly be worse?

“Mark.” Henry slid slowly into Amber’s chair, leaning forward to take his hand. “I have to tell you something. I have to …”

“Where are my parents?” Mark asked. 

Instead of responding to the question, Henry posed, “Do you remember yesterday when you asked me if I knew where our parents had gone?”

Yesterday? Had it been a day already?

“There was a council meeting,” Henry said, bowing forward. “An emergency session, actually. Your parents didn’t want to alarm you, but there’s been a couple of attacks by known human anti-vampire activists on specifically targeted families. Council families. The royal ones. Our parents were going to discuss something incredibly vital to the continued vampire and human peace treaty.”

Mark could feel his own fangs brush against his bottom lip as he questioned, “Why hide it?”

Henry reached out to dip his fingers into Mark’s hair. “Because all thirteen families were to have their representatives present at the meeting, and a good deal of first heirs were going to be there. That’s why your sister went. They were talking about a vote, that’s what I know on the content of the meeting. A vote about the treaty.”

“Those other attacks,” Mark barely managed. “And the people who hurt my brother and sister … were they done by the same people?”

Henry nodded slowly. “And they’re the same people who … who ….”

“Damnit, Henry,” Amber pleaded. “Don’t tell him this now.”

“Tell me,” Mark urged. 

Henry held out for a minute, then bent over Mark, hugging him tightly. At a whisper, he said “There’s a mole in our ranks. Those human bastards knew about the meeting. They hit us, Mark. They hit the families and then they hit the council. And there were casualties.”

One last breathe caught in Mark’s throat as he pushed Henry away. The man let him. And then Mark turned on his side, gathering up the blankets on the bed and tugging them around him.

There’d be only one reason his parents weren’t with him.

“Are they all dead? The council members and the heirs?”

Henry blew out what seemed to be a long breath of relief. “Thankfully, no. There was some security there, and they took the brunt of the violence to protect the more valuable members. We’d be in a lot of trouble if that weren’t the case.”

“But?” Mark prompted, feeling his sanity fray.

Henry choked out, “But there were five casualties. Your parents and, I’m so sorry, Mark, Grace were three of them. Plus two others.”

So everyone was dead then. Both his parents, his two sisters, and his brother. All dead. Gone in an instant, like they’d never existed in the first place. While he lived on, a byproduct of luck and coincidence, surviving only because of his selfishness and want to spend time with friends.

Amber added, “Henry’s father was hurt badly. We’re not even sure if he’ll …”

Mark clenched his eyes shut and thought of how joyful his uncle had seemed a day ago, wrapping him up in a big hug, promising him presents for his introduction. Would he be taken as well? “I’m sorry, Henry.”

“I don’t know how this happened,” Henry sobbed out, sliding onto the bed behind Mark. He wrapped an arm around Mark’s stomach and pressed them together. “I don’t know how this could have happened.”

Alone. Mark was alone now. And the word had never seemed so lonely before.

“But I promise,” Henry continued, his arm tightening around Mark. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ve got you, cousin.”

Where would he go now? What would he do?

“I’m tired.”

“Henry,” Amber tried again. “We should let him rest. In peace.”

Mark added, “I want to be alone.” He had to get used to the idea, didn’t he? Alone was the only thing he could see in his future.

“I hate the humans who did this to us,” Henry hissed, his mouth close to Mark’s ear, maybe so Amber couldn’t hear properly. “And I will kill them for what they’ve done. All of them.”

It was just talk, Mark was confident. Henry wouldn’t be killing anyone, not even the people who’d murdered their friends and family. They couldn’t break the treaty. They couldn’t injure humans even for revenge, not without potentially sparking a second human and vampire conflict. The first had nearly ended vampires completely, not to mention the hit the human population had taken. No one wanted that again. No one wanted the slaughter of innocents on either side. 

It was possible there was nothing that could actually be done for the thirst of revenge. That hurt more than the thought of being alone.

“Let him rest alone,” Amber said, and a second later Mark felt a weight lifting away from the bed.

Only to have a kiss pressed to the top of his head, just like his mother had done right before leaving.

“We have each other,” Henry said, “so we’ll be okay. No matter how much it hurts right now. And we’ll have our revenge. Sleep with that thought, and have good dreams.”

More than anything, Mark didn’t want revenge. 

He just wanted his family back.


	2. Two

The funeral was three days later, and three days was not enough time to ready himself. In fact, by the time dusk fell on the day of the funeral, Mark was just barely getting out of bed for long periods of time.

“I’ll be with you the whole time,” Henry promised him, rubbing his shoulders, bringing him warm, fresh blood, and acting like an absolute pillar of strength.

Mark let Henry dress him. He’d lost all his belongings in the fire, though certainly not even a fraction of the money tied to his parents, and that included clothing. But before he had time to worry over the matter, Henry was helping him slide into a dashing black, freshly purchased suit that looked too much like the one his father had worn the last time Mark had seen him alive.

“Should I ask where you got this from at a time like this?” Mark asked, taking another sip from the glass of blood that was quickly going cold. The problem with fresh blood was that it never held its temperature. Though neither was Mark overly familiar with the taste of fresh blood. Mostly he and his siblings had been raised on the iron based supplements that most vampires consumed to sate the lust for blood. On special occasions fresh blood was brought in, and Mark had drunk form an actual person once in his life, but for the most part he found liquid blood to be too rich.

Right now, however, it rallied him a bit. It made him feel invincible, for the hardest moment of his life to date.

“Amber,” Henry said easily. “She called up one of her girls. It was all consensual, don’t worry, and the girl was paid well. All parties are satisfied.”

Mark felt the blood coat his teeth and slide across his tongue. “I don’t want to go.”

“I know,” Henry sighed behind him, running a brush through his hair. “And I’d rather be anywhere else in the world, too. If we were a little more cowardly, we could run away together. But you have to be there, and I’ll be damned if I let you go alone.”

“It should be a small affair,” Mark grumbled, the blood making him feel a little sleepy even though the moon was rising. “Family only. Not these other people.”

“These other people,” Henry said patiently, not pausing as Amber pushed open the door, “are your parent’s friends, their business partners, their contacts, and their subjects. That last part is especially important, Mark. They’ll be yours now.”

He didn’t want any subjects. He only wanted to crawl back in bed and block out the world.

“Ready?” Amber asked, a little anxious in her tone.

Henry nodded. “We are. Can you call for the car?”

They rode for a short while, Amber, Henry and Mark squished together on one seat, feet touching, thighs pressed to thighs, fingers brushing.

The funeral, much to Mark’s distain, was far too big. Hundred of vampires packed the ceremonial space, all dressed in their respective family colors, Mark standing out as the mourning party in his colorless suit.

He stood at the front, head down, feeling all eyes on himself. There were five ceremonial caskets, all empty, and pictures of each family member above them respectively. Mark could hardly bring himself to identify the order they’d been placed in, symbolizing each piece of Mark that was now missing. Five pieces.

All the while Henry and Amber each stood on a side, sometimes keeping him upright as the traditional rites of passing were demonstrated. 

An hour later, with candles burning low and Mark fighting the urge to scream, the ceremony was over.

And he was being hugged by a long line of distant, but blood tied members of the family.

“My dear, Mark,” his Aunt Yuna eased out. She was his father’s sister and he rarely saw much of her, usually only at Christmas time every other year. She had in tow with her two of his many cousins from his father’s side of the family. They were both much younger than him and obviously struggling to understand the importance of the funeral rites. “How are you holding up?”

He wanted to snap at her .What kind of stupid question was that? His mother and father and sisters and brother were all dead. They were ash now, and he would never see them or hug them or even talk to them again. How could he be anything but distraught?

“I’m fine,” he said, simply hoping she’d leave him alone eventually.

“We’re taking care of him, Aunt Yuna,” Henry cut in, almost protectively, taking control of the conversation. “Lady Amber and I are caring for him with the utmost delicacy, as the situation calls for.”

As if sensing her cue, Amber cut in, “Lord Henry is correct. You should place your faith in us concerning Lord Mark’s heath and welfare.”

This seemed to be more than enough for his Aunt who shuffled off to accept condolences from other funeral attendees.

“Can I leave yet?” Mark asked, already feeling worn so thin.

“Mark,” Amber eased out, her hand rubbing across his shoulder blades. “You still have to accept your family’s urn.”

Of course. The Urn. Mark had spent at least forty minute staring at it, willing it to burst into flames and be gone from sight. He’d be expected to take it with him and stick it up on a shelf, pointing it out to company he entertained in the future. It seemed a ridiculous ritual that Mark hated. But it made think of the urns that had been in his house before it had … burned to the ground. Generations of family member’s last ashes had been lost in the fire as well. 

“I’ll get it for you,” Amber said. “And then we can go. No one will expect you to stick around. Not with Henry’s father still in such a delicate condition and the magnitude of your loss.”

Henry’s hand pressed to Mark’s forehead and he said, “I don’t like how clammy you look. I’m going to go call for the car. Amber should be back by then. Stay here, okay?” Henry gave his hand a quick squeeze and then disappeared into the crowd.

Mark looked back to the empty caskets. Even if their tradition had been burial, like many humans preferred, there would have only been three bodies to fill the caskets. No matter what, there’d have only been ash.

“You have my condolences, Lord Mark.”

Mark turned at the new voice, readying to wave off the newcomer. He couldn’t take any more sympathy or he was simply going to explode .Mark was sure of it. 

“I …” he paused, head cocked a little at the man standing in front of him. “Thank you?”

The man, brown hair curling across his forehead, offered, “I’m certain you have had your fill of condolences, but all the same, gentlemanly conduct requires it.” Then the man tipped forward, bowing a bit to Mark. “You have suffered a terrible loss, but I have a feeling you’ll be stronger for it in the end. I look forward to that end.”

There was something absolutely mesmerizing about the vampire in front of him. All vampires had a pull of some sort, but this one was exceptional. He was overly attractive, his stance exuding confidence and something refined. Mark was usually pretty good at picking out the older vampires, even the ones that still looked like they were teens, but there was no guessing with the one in front of him. He could have been twenty or a hundred.

“I’m sorry,” Mark said, remembering his manners. “I don’t think we’ve been introduced properly.” And this vampire certainly seemed important. Not just because he was being flanked by two exceptionally imposing vampires who were no doubt bodyguards.

“Of course not,” the vampire said, a half smile pulling at his mouth. “We wouldn’t have. Not yet. Though I was familiar with your sister Grace. Her loss is a personal grief for me. One I daresay even you might not understand.”

“Excuse me?” Mark demanded. Who was this man to say that Grace’s death was any more terrible for him that it was for Mark? 

“Mark!”

Mark turned away from the vampire to see Henry threading his way crowd. 

“I didn’t move,” Mark said, feeling as if he needed to remind his cousin that he wasn’t quite the child he was apparently being treated like. “I was just talking to …” When Mark turned back the vampire was gone, as were the two with him. 

Henry looked around. “Talking to who? Was someone bothering you?”

“No,” Mark said right away. “At least I don’t think so.” He scanned the crowd again, searching almost frantically for the face he’d memorized in only a few short seconds. “I was talking to him there.” 

Mark pointed and Henry paled. “You were speaking to Lord Kyuhyun?”

Mark startled. “That was Lord Kyuhyun?”

Henry eased out a chuckle. “You were speaking to him and you didn’t even know who he was?”

“He didn’t exactly introducing himself,” Mark said, feeling guilty. He wanted to go find Kyuhyun and apologize profusely. He’d never met Kyuhyun in person but he was very aware of who he was. If Grace had lived, he and Kyuhyun would have been brothers eventually. 

“Back,” Amber announced, coming to them with the god awful urn in her hands. She handed it delicately to Mark and didn’t release her grip on it until she seemed confident that he wasn’t going to let it smash to the floor.

Mark was half tempted, just to see the faces of the people around him. 

“Let’s go home,” Henry said, prodding Mark. “You should rest.”

For the next two weeks all Mark did was lay around, shuffling about in a depressed state, begging off Henry and Amber at every turn. He put the urn on the shelf across from his bed so it was the first thing he saw when he woke up in the morning and the last thing before he went to sleep at night. It was ugly and he hated it, but he couldn’t live without it. He had to keep his family as close as possible.

On the third week Amber had to return to her family. Mark watched from his bedroom window as she and Henry kissed in the driveway, hands everywhere. They’d be seeing each other in a very short while, but Mark thought it had to be difficult to be separated from the person you were in love with, for even a second. So Mark let the issue ride, and said nothing to Henry.

Then, finally, on the fourth week since the death of his family, Mark’s uncle was recovered enough to sit with them at dinner for the first time.

Movements still slow, though he was miraculously recovered even for a vampire who’d had his throat ripped out, his uncle said, “I’ve come to a decision about your future, Mark.”

Mark looked up from his steak. It was exceptionally rare and delicious. He wondered if his uncle had requested the meal specifically. “Yes?”

Gently, his uncle said, “There are too many difficult memories for you here at the moment. Time will dull the pain, but for now you’ve been enrolled with Henry at Hawthorne Academy for the new semester.”

Mark blinked in surprise. “In California?”

His uncle gave a nod. “You’ll both begin next week. Henry will take care of you, Mark. He’s familiar with the curriculum and you’re a very smart boy.”

Henry waved at Mark with a grand smile. “Don’t look so worried. It’s basically like a giant daycare for vampire teens and young adults. Or like a preserve. Think of it like a protected area.”

Was that what they were? And endangered species in need of protection? Before the death of his family at the hands of humans, Mark had never thought of his species as endangered, though it probably was. There were fewer and fewer vampires each year, some violating the treaty and having to be put down, others going mad with age, and some simply dying off in other instances. They were passing faster than being born. And unlike the superstitious myths the humans liked the spread around, they couldn’t go making more of themselves through any kind of conversion process. Vampires most certainly were born, and produced no other way.

“It is protected land,” his uncle cut in, reassurance in his voice. “The Academy is located away from the human population and under strict protection from both the council and the humans themselves. Regardless of the fact that we will very well live to see the grandchildren of the humans being born today, you yourselves are still children, currently vulnerable, and you will be protected at the Academy.”

Mark inquired, “There are no humans at all?”

“Not on campus,” Henry said. “But they throw some wicked parties in town and we always get invited. We’re the life of the party, ironically enough.”

“Henry,” his uncle said, a terrible look on his face. “What have I told you about consorting with humans? It’s bad enough you’re forced to mingle with those half breeds at the academy, but humans?”

Mark made sure to keep his eyes to the plate in front of him and say nothing about the humans. Humans were absolutely the only topic Mark had never been able to bring up in the company of his uncle. And part of Mark wondered how Henry could. 

Though … weren’t they in the same situation now? Four weeks ago Mark’s family had been murdered by humans, and ten years ago Henry’s mother had met the same fate. 

“I’m not consorting with them,” Henry bit out. “They throw parties. That’s all.”

“Stay away from humans,” his uncle snapped. “As if recent events haven’t given you cause enough!”

Mark wondered if he’d even be able to look at a human again and not think of his sister and brother burning, or his parents and Grace bleeding out.

“Mark?”

“I won’t,” Mark squeaked out, mentally berating himself. “I won’t go near the humans.”

“I know you won’t,” his uncle said, looking less severe and more tired. “But we need to speak about something equally as important.”

“Okay,” he said uneasily.

The topic, however, waited until their meal was finished and Henry had slunk off to his room to likely call Amber. Meanwhile his uncle led him to his nearby study and said carefully, “You must realize at this point that your status has changed.”

“Status,” he echoed. 

His uncle arched an eyebrow. “You were third in line, Mark, before this terrible event. Your sister had been bred since birth to inherit her position, and Tammy was equally aware that such responsibility could fall to her in the worst case scenario. You lived a carefree existence because they were born before you, but that’s no longer the case. You are your mother’s heir now.”

It felt like an insult to be called the heir. He was absolutely no heir. He knew nothing about vampire politics, hadn’t even been introduced yet, and had no interest in representing his bloodline. 

“But I--”

“There’s no debating it,” his uncle said snappishly. “And you are no longer just a lord. You’re a prince now, Mark, and people will treat you accordingly. You aren’t at your maturity yet, but the second you are, you will be the head of this family. Are you understanding what I’m saying?”

“No,” Mark said, sliding down a little in his chair. “Why not you?”

There was no mistaking the way his uncle was gritting his teeth as he said, “Because Your mother was our father’s heir. She was born first, which placed her into the line of succession before myself. Your sister was your mother’s heir until she passed, and now it falls to you. The line of succession continues through children.”

“I’m not a prince,” Mark ground out, even if he knew technically now, being able to trace his blood back to the first vampire, and being the only child left of his parents, he was.

“The others withheld calling you that at the funeral out of respect for your sister who had been the princess, but they won’t now. And people will flock to you because of your title. Few of them will be authentic in their attentions towards you.”

Mark swallowed hard. “Will I have to join the council?”

Slowly his uncle nodded. “When you are of age, you will represent this family as the head of the fourth family in the eyes of the council. Each of the families must be represented within the council. But your birthday and subsequent introduction to vampire society is still months away, so I will act as your proxy until you’re of age.”

“What does that mean?” Mark asked carefully. 

His uncle waved off, “I will attend council meetings in your name, observe the traditions and requirements for our family, and then relay back to you anything important. If a vote must be cast in any situation you’ll tell me which way to cast it. Clear?”

Mark gave a tired nod. This was the last thing he wanted. The last thing he needed. And for the first time he was absolutely angry that his family had died. He now had to be something he wasn’t, and navigate a minefield of trouble. 

“Mark,” his uncle said, voice dropping, “Henry’s school is safe from a human presence, but not from a vampire one. None of the other students would dare attack you physically, but you will be a target to them. Some of them will try to use you, and others will try to trick you. Few of them will actually be worth your time and loyalty, and all of them will want something from you.”

“Then why send me?” Why couldn’t he just continue at his old school? Or study from home? 

His uncle stood and moved to stand in front of him. With his hands on Mark’s shoulders, he leaned down, fangs peeking out. “Because as I said, you are a prince now. You are a prince among lords, and one day you may very well be a king. You will need support and friends you can trust. There are alliances to be made, connections to be forged, and even your future enemies will be at this school. Better that you know them now, than when they strike at you in the years to come.”

Mark slumped forward, rubbing his hands across his face. “I got a C in government last year. I’m not meant for this.”

“We manage the cards we’re dealt,” his uncle said, taking a step back. “No matter how little we like them.”

“I don’t like them at all,” he with a slight whine.

“Mark.” His uncle looked so much like his mother, so fair faced and beautiful, that Mark found it hard to concentrate on him. “There are so few of us left. So few vampires. Before the first human conflict we could have taken control and culled them down into manageable numbers. We could have been the superior race that we were meant to be. Now we are struggling to survive. Keep all the warnings I’ve given you in mind when you go to the Academy, but also remember that each and every vampire you meet is precious. Each is your brother or sister, and at least to some degree, worthy of your consideration.”

This, Mark understood emphatically, was where the rift had developed between his uncle and his father. His mother had always tried to straddle the growing divide between them, but there’d been no getting around their very significant differences of opinion. His uncle regarded humans as chattel. His father, on the other hand, considered them a species meant to coexist with their own. 

“I will, uncle,” Mark said, because there was nothing else he could. There was so much to be thankful for towards his uncle. The man had taken him in, even with his own health so perilous and his own grief to consider, and made it clear that Mark would have a place with him as long as he wanted it. The least Mark thought he could do was not stir up any kind of philosophical trouble. 

Then his uncle startled him by saying, “However, do not associate yourself with the mixed bloods, or rather, as little as possible. You are a lord turned prince, Mark. You have the blood of the first vampire in your veins. You are a pureblood and above others. In comparison, the mixed bloods are dirty. Dirt beneath your nails is the worst you should allow.”

Mark’s mouth went a little dry. “Uncle.”

“Never misunderstand,” his uncle continued. “A vampire, mixed blood or not, will always reign superior over a human. But a pure blood and a mixed blood are not the same. They are not ever within range of each other. Surround yourself with your fellow pure bloods and keep the mixed beneath your feet, where they belong.”

For the first time, Mark felt a spark of fear. His uncle actually sounded quite mad. 

Six days later Mark was actually quite glad his uncle wasn’t well enough to make the journey with them to Hawthorne Academy in California. 

“You don’t have to be nervous,” Henry promised him. “No one will give you any grief, and if anyone is stupid enough to even attempt it, you tell me right away.”

They were coming up on the school fairly fast, cutting through a dense forest that more than anything acted a barrier between the vampire and human population.

Henry surprised him by saying, “Don’t you remember Grace went to Hawthorne?”

Eyes widening, Mark shook his head.

“She did,” Henry insisted. “You were probably too young to remember, but she did, for high school. And she could have stayed on for the college classes that Hawthorne offers, but I think your parents wanted her closer to them. But the point is, she went to Hawthorne. She left her mark on the place, and you will too.”

“Do a lot of vampire families send their children to schools like Hawthorne?”

Henry shrugged. “Maybe the pureblood families. Most of them have duties to the council. Almost all the purebloods you’ll meet at Hawthorne will be from families directly connected to the council. I think everyone else sends their kids to private schools like Hawthorne because it’s the safest place for us before our introduction, and then before we grow into our powers.”

Sullenly, Mark couldn’t help voicing, “I haven’t gotten any of mine.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Henry patted him on the knee and laughed a little. “I had my introduction four years ago and I’m just starting to get mine. You’ll get there, Mark. But we don’t advertise this to the humans for a reason. We might be powerful as adults, but as children we’re easy marks. Hawthorne, more than anything else, is heavily protected because we’re easier to hurt at this age. No human has ever breached Hawthorne, for example, and I doubt they’ll start now. It just never hurts to be careful.”

It was true that Mark was feeling just a little better. But he still had to say, “I’ve never boarded away from home.” It was a scary thought, living in cold, sterile room that wasn’t his. Even if he’d lost everything in the fire, his uncle had spent the past month steadily building up a collection of possessions that were now his. Most of them were frivolous purchases, but Mark appreciated the sentiment. 

“You’ll be right across from me in Hall A, Mark. Father already worked it out with Headmaster Kim. Your door will be directly adjacent to mine and if you have any problems or get scared for any reasons you can come get me right away. Got it?”

The school came into view and Mark’s answer to Henry absolutely fell away. Because the school was mammoth. It sprawled everywhere, with buildings of every size and shape, painted in a soft blue with while trim. And the more they drove the more Mark could see the tennis courts, soccer fields, several baseball diamonds, basketball courts, a swimming pool and endless amenities.

“Breathe,” Henry teased. “Breathe, Mark. I know it’s a little overwhelming.”

Their car stopped at what obviously was the front entrance to the school and there was an elderly man waiting for them. He looked a little anxious as Mark’s door was opened and he was escorted out by Henry.

“This is the headmaster,” Henry introduced, pulling Mark forward a little. “Headmaster Kim, this is my cousin, Prince Mark.”

Mark blushed furiously at the designation, and the way the headmaster bowed immediately and deeply, quickly vocalizing how happy he was to have them. Mark wondered how Grace had dealt with being called a princess at every turn, and how had their mother handled even more?

Soon enough he and Henry were following the headmaster through the school on the most boring tour Mark had ever experienced in his life. Henry looked equally as bored, hands behind his head, starting to fall behind after only a few seconds.

“Up ahead,” the headmaster droned on, leading them down a long hallway, “we’ll visit the dormitories first. You’ll be in Hall A, Prince Mark.” Mark sighed and was at least hopeful the prince title wouldn’t completely follow him around when he made friends. Outside of formal introductions, serious situations and council business, no one would call him such if he asked them not to. “This building has been completely refurbished within the past five years to include every amenity you could possibly wish for .However, if you find you are lacking in any way, I will personally make it my duty to see that--”

Mark blocked the headmaster out completely.

His room was the first thing he saw. He’d irrationally feared in the beginning that he’d be forced to share with someone but he was pleased to see that he had a single room, with a small kitchenette, lavishly decorated bedroom, bathroom, and even a sitting room to entertain.

“I’m right here,” Henry said, making sure Mark was following his line of sight to the door across the hall.

“It’s nice,” Mark finally replied, seeing the headmaster nearly desperate for his opinion. “It’ll be fine.”

The headmaster let out a low sigh. “I’m glad you’re pleased, Prince Mark.”

His anger was only growing with each passing second. He wanted his life from before. He wanted his old school where no one cared what kind of vampire he was, where he came from or even that his parents served on the council. He wanted to go to school during the night and then come home to sleep during the day in a house full of love and family. He wanted his old friends and his old bedroom and he hated everything he was being forced to endure now. He hated everything. All of it.

“We’ll move on to the classrooms,” the headmaster droned on.

“Hey,” Henry said lowly from his side. “I think I just spotted Amber.”

Mark looked sharply for the short haired girl and found her clustered around four other girls, all of them waving not so covertly in their direction. 

“You can go,” Mark said, already sensing Henry’s desperation. 

“I should--”

“You should go,” Mark said. “I have a feeling this tour is going to be long. Catch up with us later, and tell Amber I said hi.”

Mark raced to catch up with the headmaster who was pulling ahead and made a point not to look back for Henry or Amber.

“At Hawthorne,” the headmaster said, leading them to the more academic focused area of the school, “you have the freedom to study whatever you so choose. Required classes will be mandatory, of course, but we offer a staggeringly wide selection of electives and club activities. Tomorrow we’ll see to setting up your schedule exactly the way you prefer it. We will accommodate you, Prince Mark. You are, of course, our most esteemed guest at the moment.”

Mark clenched down his anger again.

Instead of lashing out, Mark asked, “Where are all the students?” He’d seen a couple dozen of them outside when he and Henry had arrived, and there’d been a handful more in the student dorms, but far fewer than he’d expected to see. Especially since dusk had only just fallen and most vampire activities were just getting started.

“Classes don’t officially start until tomorrow,” he headmaster said, pushing through big double doors to take them outside. “You’d be surprised how few of our students aren’t on campus until mere hours before. By tomorrow this place will be filled to capacity, but you may take advantage of its emptiness at the moment. It won’t be this quiet again until the end of the semester.”

The sporting facilities were ahead, which the headmaster insisted could absolutely accommodate any type of extracurricular program he wanted.

“I used to take martial arts,” Mark volunteered, looking over the track and field area. “For self defense.”

For the most part his parents had let him live an ordinary life. There had been plenty of bodyguards everywhere, and his activities were always closely monitored, but otherwise, he was like everyone else. Until he’d been much older, Mark hadn’t even know what it meant to be a pureblood council family, or the reverence it demanded from other vampires. He hadn’t known his family was special in any way until someone had tried to kidnap his little brother as a kid. And then suddenly Mark had found himself in a martial arts class, not being able to leave home without an escort, and faced with increasingly overprotective parents.

He’d give anything to have their suffocating reach over him again.

Because they’d always known. They’d known the dangers that existed in the world. And everything they had done, all the precautions taken, had been just to keep them all alive for a little longer. 

Speaking of …

“You’ve had men shadowing us?” Mark asked. From the corner of his eye he could see shadowed forms, just keeping back enough to not be in the way, but close enough to act if necessary.

“Actually,” the headmaster said, leading on, “they’re your men. And your uncle’s.   
Your uncle was very clear that you’re to be protected from all potential threats.”

The men guarding his sister and brother at the house hadn’t been much use. So why would Mark feel different about the men now following him? 

“Fine,” Mark said, too weary to fight the issue. He’d save it for another day, or the next time he talked to his uncle.

They were just passing by the basketball courts when Mark caught the sound of voices yelling. Brief panic jolted through him, but then he realized the yells were friendly, and they belonged to six boys caught up in a basketball game.

Mark found himself drifting over. 

They looked so normal and carefree, tossing the basketball between them, bickering good naturedly. They were obviously friends and they touched each other carelessly, the way that Henry touched Mark. 

“Hey! Kid!”

Something solid hit Mark’s ankle and he looked down. The basketball had rolled towards him and the six boys were waiting for him to toss it back.

“Got it,” he called out to them, rolling the ball back up into his hands. He bounced it experimentally in front of him a few times, then zeroed in on the basket at the far end of the court. He primed himself, drawing in a deep breath, then arced the ball up and watched it pass through the net with a soft whoosh.

“No cheating!” came the immediate reply. One of the boys was charging over to him in an instant, another one behind him. “You know the rules. The court is vampire ability free. Only actual skills allowed.”

Mark ventured a quick look to the headmaster who was almost out of sight and hadn’t noticed he wasn’t there, and then told the two boys, “I wasn’t cheating.” He didn’t know the rules, but he also hadn’t been using his enhanced sight or strength to calculate the exact force and angle to toss the ball. His hand eye coordination just came naturally to him. More naturally than being a vampire.

The first boy asked slowly, “You didn’t use your vampire abilities?”

Mark shook his head and the second barked out, “Total bullshit.”

He maybe should have been a little intimidated by the second boy, but instead he just felt challenged. And it was a good feeling. So he snapped back, “Get me the ball again and I’ll prove it to you. I’ll do it again. You can check for all the obvious signs, including pupil dilation.”

“Okay,” the first boy said, turning to dash for the ball.

“You can’t fool me,” the second boy warned. “No one has that much natural skill.”

Mark found himself genuinely smiling for the first time since … probably the death of his family. “Then you’re about to have your pants blown off.”

The boy slowly returned his smile and said quietly, “It’s an experience I look forward, I assure you.”

Mark was fighting a blush by the time the first boy tossed the basketball back to him, and then it was on.

He made his next shot, but missed the one afterwards, and somehow, without Mark or the other boys asking, they were playing a full game.

“You’re good!” the smart mouthed boy shouted at Mark as Mark cut around him, dribbling furiously, easily bypassing the block set up by the other’s bigger body. “Really good!”

Mark jumped, launching the ball up towards the net. As it sailed through smoothly he said, “I was on my old school’s basketball team. No vampire powers allowed there, either.”

“Well,” the boy said, giving Mark a long once over, the kind that had Mark’s heart pumping a little faster and his knees threatening to turn to mush, “I’ve got to have you.”

“Enough talking!” one of the boys shouted, in possession of the ball. “More play of the actual game. Jackson! You’re a terrible flirt!”

The boy, Jackson, winked at Mark. “For the school team, of course! I’m captain!”

Four on three they played a quick, furious game, Mark leaning their names through them calling to each other and their actual game play style.

Jackson went big and bold. There were no fake outs from him or attempts to trick Mark during the game. Jaebum, who everyone called JB, was a power house of a defender who worked in perfect tandem with Jinyoung, who apparently got very mad when people didn’t call him JR. Those two, Mark had a suspicion, were closer than mere friends.

BamBam, the kid with the pink patch of color in his hair, was lightening fast and had stolen the ball from Mark three times before he caught on that it was YoungJae and his fancy footwork that was making it possible. Or maybe it was Yugyeom’s impressive dribbling and absolute style that was the distraction BamBam needed. 

The game lasted less than five minutes, and by the end Mark had a huge smile splitting across his face, sweat gathering on his forehead and six new people he thought he could call friends.

“Good game,” JB said, reaching out to shake Mark’s hand. “And Jackson runs his mouth a lot, but he isn’t lying when he says he’s captain of the team. If you’re looking for something to join, come to tryouts.”

“Tryouts?” Jackson cut in, swinging an easy arm around Mark’s neck like they’d been friends forever. It was uncomfortable for a minute, then Mark relished in the feeling. “This kid is totally on the team.”

“Formalities,” JB pressed.

For a second, Mark thought he was flying. He was tugged away from Jackson so fast his feet left the ground and he was pulled against a solid form that turned out to be his cousin Henry. His seething, absolutely vicious looking cousin Henry.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he all but roared at the new friends Mark had made.

“Having a game with the new kid,” JB answered, but Mark could detect the slight fear creeping on his face.

“Kid?” Henry shouted, the headmaster jogging up behind them, absolutely radiating panic. “This is my cousin. This is Prince Mark and he is the new head of the fourth family. You have no right to touch him, let alone occupy the same space as him!”

Mark’s world felt smashed to pieces, like a hammer to a window, watching the faces of his new friends fall. And then their bodies were falling, dropping to their knees in submission, heads bowing, JB speaking for all of them, pleading for forgiveness. 

“Henry,” Mark tried, but was startled into quietness as Henry rounded on the headmaster, shouting at him about Mark’s safety.

Mark wanted to plead with Jackson to look at him. To look up at him and see how sorry he was that Henry was making such a scene and embarrassing him more than he ever had been in his life.

“If anything happens to him,” Henry shouted at the headmaster, destroying Mark’s nerves, “it’ll be on your head. My father will be coming for you personally!”

“Henry.” Amber’s firm voice cut across the court, her appearance unexpected but welcomed.

She didn’t say any more and it seemed to be enough, Henry tugging Mark’s hand into his own. “We’re going now.”

Mark snapped angrily, Henry pulling him along strongly, “It was just a game of basketball! What’s wrong with you!”

“It’s not!” Henry responded, not slowing down in the least bit. “You just don’t understand yet. But you will.”

Mark tried desperately to strain for the sight of Jackson one last time, with his larger than life bravado, amazing confidence, and handsome face. But Henry pulled him around a sudden corner and Mark lost sight of the basketball court completely. And also maybe the only friends he’d ever made so easily in his life.


	3. Three

Mark was not talking to Henry.

He was absolutely not answering the door, the very one in which Henry had been knocking at for at least fifteen minutes, he was not responding to the flood of text messages from his cousin, and he was not so easily forgiving the humiliation he had felt. Henry had never treated him before in such a way, never embarrassed him before, and never made Mark question their friendship. Not for one second. Until now.

So to be so upset at Henry was nauseating.

But Mark could be stubborn, too. 

And he was not answering the door.

Instead he passed the hours after the blotched basketball game, and the loss of his first potential friends, by packing away his things for the semester. Mostly he owned just clothing, and a few knickknacks from friends who’d been sorry to see him go, and who’d made him promise to call. 

He lined his shoes up near the door, set aside his weekend clothes, and then looked over the uniform he’d be wearing in less than twenty-four hours. The white pants looked anything but flattering, as did the white jacket, but the soft blue undershirt that felt like silk was promising, and the stripped tie was the best of the lot. Clearly the clothing was meant to keep students from doing anything but studying while in class, and certainly not skipping out to do anything else that Might get the white material smudged with evidence.

The crest on the front pocket of the jacket was a shield embroidered with the Academy’s sigil, lined in gold and obviously something the administration wanted shown off properly. 

Mark tried the uniform on slowly, taking care to not wrinkle anything or trip on the long pants. A quick look in the Mirror showed that he looked acceptable, maybe a little pale from the white color of the jacket and pants, but also a little handsome. His hair was dark again, the red coloring from before the fire already faded and washed out, and he was a brunet fully. All in all, he made an okay picture. 

At least he’d fit in.

Afterwards he set up his computer on the far table, linked into the school’s system, and ended up writing endless e-mails, setting up his school account, and then ultimately surfing the web. 

He didn’t come out of his room for dinner.

Eventually the knocking started at his door again, and Mark stumbled his way over to the bedroom attached to the living space. He pushed the door open and collapsed on the nearby bed, burying his face in the pillow.

A soft click reached his ears just a few seconds later and Mark popped up, shouting angrily, “I don’t know how you got in, but you can just take your--” He stopped short when he saw Amber in the doorway, a silver tray balanced between her hands. 

“Are you only angry at Henry, or does that extend to me, too?”

Mark tried to give her an apologetic smile. “Not you.”

“Come on,” she said, nodding back to the main room. “It’s getting late, sunrise is only few hours away and I brought dinner. You have to be hungry. Teenage boys are always hungry.”

Mark followed her easily, questioning, “How’d you get into my room?” As far as Mark knew, he had the only keycard, aside from probably a master card that the administration had. 

“I told the headmaster that you missed the last meal of the night and I wanted to bring you something to eat. I needed his key to get into the boy’s dorm in the first place. It also just happens to unlock all the doors in the building. Don’t worry, Mark, everyone here is very well aware that Henry and I are matched. I have to give the keycard back in less than half an hour.”

Mark was eternally thankful to her, and so was his stomach, when he saw that she’d brought him a substantial amount of food, and a new supply of iron table supplements.

“If you were talking to Henry,” Amber said, like she wasn’t offended in the least that he wasn’t, “he’d be the one telling you right now that you’re free to continue taking the tablets if you want, I know you’re used to them, but if you want a fresh supply, the school will accommodate you in that regard.”

Mark spooned up some mashed potatoes and asked skeptically, “The school has blood on tap for me?”

“Not just for you,” Amber said. “But purebloods are notoriously picky about their blood supply, and the Academy has an understanding with some very willing humans in town.”

Mark savored the taste of his food as he broke the tablet container open and dropped it in a nearby glass of water. It dissolved easily and Mark told her, “I’m fine with the tablets, of course.”

“If you change your Mind,” she said. 

Amber didn’t stay with him for long, yawning frequently until she was vocal about wanting to return to her own room. 

“Mark,” she said, pausing at the door to the hallway and leaning on it a little. “I understand why you’re angry at Henry. I’m not telling you not to be. But Henry was only acting in your best interest. He’s never done anything but that.”

Mark scoffed, “But trying to tell me who I can and can’t be friends with? By humiliating me?”

“By helping you choose,” Amber said. “You don’t understand anything Mark. Don’t take that as a slight. But you don’t. And the way you’ll learn about vampire politics is by learning how things work here. Henry was trying to save you from making a first alliance with someone who couldn’t possibly benefit you.”

“Alliance?” Mark hardly thought that was what had nearly happened. “I was making friends.”

Amber shrugged. “In this world, the world you’re currently now living in, that’s the same thing. Henry is here to guide you, Mark. He could be a little less heavy handed about it, but he’s not wrong.”

Mark told her as she pulled open the door, “I can choose my own friends, Amber.”

“Even if they’re half-bloods? Or worse?” There was an odd pull to her face, like she was personally invested in his answer. He couldn’t imagine why, considering her bloodline was as pure as Mark’s. She belonged to the seventh family, and there was no way Mark thought for one second that his uncle would let Henry marry someone who was anything less than vampire nobility.

“Even if,” Mark said firmly. 

Amber threw him a dark smile. “Eat up and then get some rest, Mark. You’re going to need it tomorrow.” She pulled the door as she went, calling back, “Everyone will know you’re here by tomorrow, and it’ll be a madhouse, then.”

Mark slept that night fitfully, unused to the firmness of the new bed, and a little perturbed by the amount of people surrounding him. He could hear them, his senses tuned to their max, moving around in dozens of different rooms. It was distracting to be able to pick up on the shuffling of feet, and it was something he knew he’d have difficulty getting used to.

The morning brought an exceptionally apologetic looking Henry who pointedly did not apologize. Instead he held a thermos full of something that tasted sweet but was suspiciously caffeinated, and said, “You look good in the uniform. Are you talking to me now?”

Mark eyed Henry in his own, a little eager to see Amber in her skirt. He knew she absolutely preferred pants, and the skirts the girls wore were sure to be much shorter than anything he’d ever seen her in.

“I guess I have to,” Mark said.

“You’d better,” Henry said, waving a piece of paper in front of Mark. “Because I have your class schedule and you’re only getting it if you’re nice to me.”

Mark snatched it from him easily.

Everything that he’d expected to see was accounted for, including math, science, and all the other standard subjects that he’d taken at his old school. But there was also the appearance of a vocal class he hadn’t signed up for, and double physical education.

Mark frowned as he and Henry walked from the boy’s dorm, saying, “I requested the cinema elective.” It has sounded the easiest, honestly. Nothing but hours of sitting around watching movies, and then likely an end of term paper about how they made him feel. “Why do I have a vocal class?”

Henry laughed, “Everyone and their mom tries to get into the cinema elective. I mean, I’m sure if you went to the Headmaster right now and demanded a spot in the cinema elective, he’d make room for you. You are, after all, a prince now. But haven’t you been saying for a while now you don’t want that to change anything?”

Reluctantly, Mark made a grunt of agreement. 

With a laugh, Henry advised, “Try again next semester, okay? You’ll get in for sure. And the vocal elective isn’t that bad. I promise.”

Mark considered, maybe he could just stand in the back and sway?

“Double phys ed?”

Henry said, sounding a mite smug, “I know you like basketball and other sports. If you want to switch the second elective back to the language elective you originally signed up for, I can get that taken care of, but I figured you’d rather have an extra class period to work up a sweat. Did I guess right? You can still take Mandarin if you prefer.”

Mark gave his cousin a side look. “You know which I prefer.”

Before class they had to swing by the main office for Mark to get the last of his paperwork signed and his official handbook containing the rules and conduct for Hawthorne Academy. As they headed to breakfast afterwards Henry promptly slipped the handbook into the trashcan, stating, “It’d be pointless for you to read it. You can do whatever you want.”

Mark hardly thought that was the point.

The second they entered the main dinning hall, Mark wanted to retreat. There were a couple hundred people already packed into the expansive room, and not a single one of them failed to pause and fall silent the second he arrived.

It was only Henry, urging him forward covertly and whispering, “Don’t give an inch,” that Mark was able to take a shaky step forward. Then one more, and then finally each step after came a little more easily.

Amber met them in the line for the first meal, and Mark couldn’t help giving her a long once over, almost amazed by the amount of leg she was showing, and the much more flattering way the girl’s uniform looked over the male counterpart.

“I will knock your teeth out,” Amber threatened, squirming a little. He could tell she wanted to pull at her knee length skirt, the white pleats complimenting the length of her legs. 

Henry pressed a quick kiss to her mouth and told Mark, “Best not to mention the uniform ever. She’s not a fan.”

By the time Mark had a full plate of food in front of him conversation had picked up in the room again, but Mark was under no illusion that the others were not still watching him. They were probably talking about him, too, simply more covertly. They all knew he was the new prince of the fourth family, the last standing child from his mother’s line, and probably absolutely naïve to everything that counted. Some would be plotting against him already, others might be feeling out his nativity. But Mark trusted none of them, and they all made him uneasy.

“Don’t pay them any attention,” Henry said, snatching up a banana and placing it on his tray. “They don’t matter, okay? Their idle gossip means nothing.”

Mark let out a long breath and tried to believe Henry. 

“We’re over here,” Amber said, leading Mark confidently to a table that was almost completely full of boys mixed in with girls, all of them wearing the school white with either blue ties or female equivalent of scarves. 

It was not lost on Mark that some of the other people in the room were wearing red instead of blue. There were even a couple greens. The white seemed to be the only constant.

“Everyone,” Henry said, taking Mark’s tray for him and setting it down purposefully in front of a narrow spot. The space immediately opened up a bit more as Henry continued, “This is my cousin Mark. I don’t think I need to tell you anything more. You know who he is.”

Amber straddled her chair a bit obscenely, though Henry seemed to appreciate the sight from the way he was momentarily distracted by her legs, and said, “Henry and I will beat anyone up who is mean to him. And that’ll be the least of your problems.”

A haughty voice called out, “Some of us are well aware of propriety and decorum, Amber.”

Mark sat, leaving the chair next to Amber open for Henry, and let his gaze drift to the people seated around him. They all seemed a bit older, all wore the blue, and each seemed more uptight than the last.

“Nice to see you again, Siwon,” Henry said, nudging Mark a little. “Mark, this is Siwon. You’ll be looking at his ugly mug for at least the next hundred years when the both of you eventually represent your lines on the council. He’s from the third family.” A half second later Henry said at a whisper, “He lost his father when you lost your parents and Grace. He was an heir before, but he had his introduction some time ago, and he’s already claimed the title of head of his family in the eyes of the council.”

Amber snuck in just as quietly, “He doesn’t have to be here at Hawthorn. Maybe he even shouldn’t be. He might be feeling you out. You and a few other students. For political gain.”

Mark nodded politely to Siwon, wondering if something like a mutual loss would make them better allies or better enemies. And what did it say about them respectively that Mark was still struggling to deal with his loss on a day by day basis, and Siwon looked no worse for wear? Was Siwon simply better at hiding his emotions? Or did his rise to power mean more to him than the loss of his father?

Underneath the table Henry squeezed Mark’s hand as Siwon’s attention strayed away to the pretty girl on his right.

Mark looked to Henry’s face and was able to read the expression there without mistake.

Siwon was not to be trusted. 

Slowly, and quietly, Henry used the meal and the chatter around them to point out everyone to Mark. He whispered that the girl at the far end was Tiffany, another heir, and her match Jessica sat across from her. Donghae, four seats away, was the only child of the largest vampire landholder in North America, and two seats from him Amber’s friend Victoria was poised to become the youngest vampire to hold a seat on the joint human/vampire Blood Committee when she graduated in a semester. Even further down Henry pointed out Sunggyu who was stiff and often cold but ultimately trustworthy, and Woohyun who was absolutely warm and inviting before he struck like a viper. There was also Eunji who never kept secrets well, but Taeyeon who’d never spilled a single one of Henry’s.

Mark struggled to keep up, trying to remember that Shindong’s mother was exceptionally wealthy, no matter how powerless it made her with the council, but that Chorong’s mother on the other hand made up for her lack of wealth with the superior power her bloodline lent her.

There were too many names, too many faces, and too much political maneuvering already happening. Mark was busy worrying about how he’d handle calculus, let alone the political landscape sprawling out in front of him. 

“Mark,” Henry said, once the meal was starting to wind down and people were getting up to leave. “There’s one last person you have to meet.”

Mark didn’t think one extra face would make much of a difference. “Who?”

The who in actually was a tall, dark haired male who had kind eyes but imposing figure. Henry introduced him as Zhou Mi and said, “Zhou Mi is absolutely trustworthy, Mark. If you have any problems here, any questions, or don’t feel safe at any time, Zhou Mi will help you. He’s from the twelfth family, and he’s been a close ally of ours for a long while.”

“Zhou Mi,” Mark said, wondering who exactly he was supposed to be an ally of. Mark, or Mark’s uncle? Was that the same thing? It had to be.

Zhou Mi surprised him by dipping forward in a deep, traditional bow. “I’m absolutely pleased to meet you,” he said, startling Mark with a lighter than expected voice. “And I hope I’ll be of great service to you.”

“I’m …” Mark broke off when, from the corner of his eye, he swore he saw Jackson. Mark turned instinctively towards the crowd of people pouring out of the room and tried to look for him again. He needed to find Jackson and JB and the others and apologize profusely for Henry’s behavior. He had to let them know that he could choose his own friends, and that his cousin didn’t speak for him.

“Mark,” Henry said, a little forcefully, pulling his attention back to them. “Zhou Mi comes from an exceptionally pure bloodline, has an impeccable standing with the council, and though his elder cousin is set to inherit the spot on the council for their family, he’s very familiar with the workings of the council. He’ll be invaluable to you.”

Certain he’d lost Jackson, Mark smiled politely at Zhou Mi and said, “Then I’ll look to you, if I get confused over something.”

Zhou Mi gave him a daring look. “I hope you’ll simply look to me.”

What kind of response was he supposed to offer for that?

Henry snaked an arm around a nearby Amber and said, “Zhou Mi has offered to walk you to your first class. Amber and I have to head clear across campus for ours and it’s more convenient this way. Will you be okay on your own?” Without him, Mark supposed. 

“Fine, fine,” Mark said, shooing at him a little with his hand. “I’ll see you later on in the day, won’t I?”

Amber reached out an pinched his cheek. “Of course you will. We all have the same elective.”

Mark shot a disbelieving look to Henry as the elder boy turned away. They all had a vocal class together? Henry sang? Why did Mark not know this? His cousin was proficient with the piano, gifted with the violin, and played half a dozen other instruments, but Mark had never know him to be a singer.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Mark confessed honestly. 

Zhou Mi, aside from being exceptionally tall, which meant that people were apparently willing to give them a wide berth to walk, also was comfortable enough letting silence keep them company for most of the walk. Mark appreciated it.

His strides were long and even, a passive look was on his face, and he seemed to be in no hurry as he walked Mark to one of the side buildings across some distance. The moon was high in the sky and bathing them in natural light, and even Mark couldn’t deny that Zhou Mi was exceptionally handsome. 

Before they were almost there, Zhou Mi said finally, “You must hate it.”

“Hate what?” Mark said, fingers gripping his student bag that contained several empty notebooks and his laptop. He kind of hated that he had to tip his head back so far to look up at Zhou Mi. 

Gingerly, Zhou Mi said, “The way they stare at you. The way they talk about you. You must be bothered by it. It’s absolutely insulting, considering what you’ve been through recently.”

Mark asked a little snappishly, “You’re not going to offer your condolences?”

A smile found its way back to Zhou Mi’s face. “That would be equally as insulting. We all know loss as vampires. We’ve all endured it. But what you have endured is exceptionally trying. Neither did I know your siblings or parents personally. I had met your sister, Grace, on more that one occasion, but we weren’t close.”

Mark tried not to acknowledge the people surrounding them. “They’re just curious. I’d be curious. My mother still had years left on her seat, maybe decades. My sister was going to get married and start a family long before she was expected to take over. But all of that structure and expectation was destroyed. People want to know what’ll come in its place. Curiosity isn’t just a human thing.”

“You’re holding up well,” Zhou Mi observed. 

Mark was quick to reply, “Henry is my best friend. He’s always been there for me, and now is no exception. I’d be lost without him. He’s really making a difference with how I’m able to handle this.”

“Henry is a good man.”

“He is,” Mark agreed. “And so is his father. My uncle is really all I have left now, after Henry.”

It was noticed by Mark that Zhou Mi didn’t comment on the type of man his uncle was.

“You’re up here,” Zhou Mi said after a moment more, raising a hand to point at the building ahead. “And most of your classes will be concentrated in this area. But if you have any questions--”

“I’ll look for you,” Mark said, feeling absolutely at ease with Zhou Mi. Henry might have introduced them, and was obviously pushing for a friendship of some closeness, but Mark had a feeling he could have picked to befriend Zhou Mi all on his own. Zhou Mi felt like a kindred soul, quiet and observant, careful with what he said, but not deceptively so.

“I’ll be around,” Zhou Mi replied, head nodding. “I look forward to seeing more of you, Prince Mark.”

“Mark,” he called back, just as Zhou Mi started towards a different direction. “If we’re going to be friends, you have to call me Mark. Save the prince stuff for official council business.”

“I’ll do my best to remember, Mark,” Zhou mi said, amusement written on his face.

Mark liked him more and more. 

His first class of the day, calculus, was like getting back on a bike. Math was a universal language, and it was one he spoke fluently. No matter where he was, or how he’d changed, math remained the same, and it was comforting. 

The people around him, still whispering about him, still giving him appraising looks, were not so comforting.

Chemistry, which came after, was equally as easy, and Mark was just beginning to settle in when his third class rolled around, a literature course, and seated three rows back was Jackson. Mark paused some distance away, feeling a sudden spike of anxiety, and waited for Jackson to notice him.

It didn’t go as smoothly as Mark would have hoped.

He’d sort of built up an expectation in his mind, that Jackson would give him a cool look, maybe ask if Mark thought he was too good for him and his friends, but eventually accept his apology. Then Mark would slide into the empty seat next to him and they’d talk about the state of the basketball team.

The reality of the situation happened quite differently, with panic flushing across Jackson’s face, so unnatural and unnerving to Mark, before Jackson’s eyes slammed down to the desk in front of him. The seat next to Jackson was taken quickly after by the small form of Jackson’s friend BamBam, and Mark felt his spirits drop.

He was impeded even further by the teaching choosing that very moment to appear, forcing Mark to take a seat near the very front, and focus completely on the lesson.

It took almost every inch of Mark’s will power not to look back at Jackson at any point in the class. 

The end of class, signified by the teacher tossing out a warning to read the assigned material for a potential pop quiz the following class, came quickly enough, and Mark tried to gather up his things as quickly as possible. He wasn’t going to let Jackson slip through his fingers, not until Mark had gotten a chance to properly apologize. 

By some stroke of luck, Mark was able to make it to Jackson’s desk long before the other was finished and ready to leave the room. Other people were piling out in a desperate urge to get to their next class, and Mark stood forcefully in Jackson’s way.

Steadying himself, he said, “I want to talk to you about the other day.” He kept his eyes looked on Jackson, who was decidedly looking away from him, but flickered over to Bambam the second he shot out a quick apology and dashed for the door.

With only a few people lingering in the classroom, Jackson clambered to his feet and then bowed low. “I’m very sorry about yesterday. I didn’t know who you were. I humbly ask your leniency and forgiveness.”

“Woah!” Mark put his hands out in front of him, desperately trying to get Jackson to stop. “What are you doing?”

Jackson, shoulders stiff like the whole act was absolutely killing him, continued, “I was wrong to touch you and speak to you so informally. I was wrong to make assumptions about you. I was wrong to occupy your attention, Prince Mark.”

“No, wait,” Mark tried to interrupt. He reached a hand out for Jackson’s shoulder. This was happening all wrong.

Jackson jumped, physically jumped the second Mark touched him, and jerked backwards.

“It’s okay,” Mark said quickly, trying to defuse the situation. “I came to apologize to you, actually. Please don’t look at me like that.” Like he was scared of Mark. Like he was scared of what Mark could do. It was the same way he’d seen people look at his parents from time to time, and it wasn’t something to be desired.

“You came to apologize?” Jackson asked a bit shortly, breath coming out in staccato bursts as he calmed. “To me?”

Mark gave a nod. “My cousin was extremely rude to you yesterday. He embarrassed me. I know he thought he was doing something right, but it was an insult to you, and also to me. I’m here to apologize on his behalf and make it clear that I know how to choose my own friends, and the status of their bloodline has nothing to do with how I make my choices.”

Jackson stared at him.

Awkwardly, Mark added, “I had a great time hanging out with you and your friends yesterday, even if it only was for a short while. You were the first people I met, and the first people who were kind to me here. I don’t want my cousin to have ruined that.”

Jackson’s lips pressed into a thin line and it made him look severe, less handsome, and more like he wasn’t nearly as submissive as he’d been mere moments ago. “You’re actually apologizing to me?”

Mark nodded. “I am. I’m formally offering you my apology for my cousin’s egregious behavior.”

The sides of Jackson’s mouth pulled up into a sort of smile. “This could be the first time in Hawthorne history that a pureblood, and in fact a prince, has ever apologized to someone less than him. We might need to document this. For posterity’s sake, you understand.”

With that, the tension seemed alleviated, at least a little, and a bigger smile popped onto Jackson’s face.

Mark hitched his bag up a little higher on his shoulder and asked, “What do you mean less than him?”

Jackson slid his own bag’s strap over his head and said, “What class do you have next?”

When it was determined that they were both headed towards the physical education department, Mark insisted that they walk together, and wouldn’t be dissuaded when Jackson pointed out anyone could see them.

“So what’s your story?” Jackson asked as they walked along. They seemed to be getting more than a little attention, it was impossible not to notice. Mark was absolutely certain word would get back to Henry and this was something he wouldn’t approve of, but Mark was also done playing the part of his cousin’s wayward lamb. And he had to start making his own choices, even if they might be mistakes.

Jackson didn’t feel like a mistake, Mark contemplated. 

“My story?” Mark asked, mouth going dry.

Almost gently, Jackson added, “Not about the … accident.” Was that what people were calling the attack? “I meant about why you act the way you do?”

Mark felt his eyebrows rise. “How do I act?”

Jackson sort of bounced all over the place. That was what Mark noticed the most about him. Jackson was never still, always moving, and genuinely seemed to have a happy demeanor. It was a nice change from the stoic people that Mark almost always found himself surrounded by. In a lot of ways, Jackson reminded Mark of his old friends who’d been energetic and even rambunctious. 

Jackson threw out his hands widely. “Like none of this matters.”

“This?”

Jackson flicked the red stripes on his tie. “This.”

Oh. There was a red tie up close. Mark was surprised he was noticing it for the first time. There’d been a girl wearing a green scarf across the room in one of his early morning classes, and more than a handful of blue had surrounded him at each lesson, but this was the first time he was seeing a red tie up close. It looked just the same as his, simply with a different color.

“This is the part where you have to tell me what the colors mean. I think Henry took for granted that he threw out my academy handbook before I could read it.”

Jackson scoffed, “I doubt you’ll find an explanation for the different colors in there. This is the kind of discriminatory bullshit that’s just been casually popping up at this school for a couple of decades.” He cut a look back to Mark. “You really don’t know?”

“Based on the way you described it, I’m going to guess it’s some elitist distinction marker among the student body.” It hadn’t escaped Mark’s notice that earlier at the first meal everyone who’d been seated around him, and even the tables surrounding theirs, had been wearing blue. Red had been further out, and green had been on the fringes. There was no way the colors weren’t eluding to a caste system of some sort.

“Blue,” Jackson said daringly reaching out to run his fingers along the tie at Mark’s neck, making Mark fight the urge to reach up and catch the long digits, “for the bluebloods. That’s essentially what this means. The vampires here who are purebloods, who don’t have a drop of human in their bloodline since the first vampire, wear the blue. Sorry to say that the only way you guys keep that blood so pure is through prearranged matches that are all but incestuous at this point. You may have noticed there aren’t that many pureblood families left now. You’re one giant cesspool of incest.”

Jackson’s hand fell away and Mark could breathe again, trying to regain his composure. He didn’t know what it was about Jackson that wound him up so tightly, but sometimes he made it awfully difficult to function normally. And that was when he wasn’t smiling. 

“What about red?”

“Red,” Jackson repeated with an impish look. “Your kind will look down on mine for the color, but some of us outside of snobbish society think that red is better. It means those who wear it are half-bloods. One vampire parent, one human parent. It’s proof that vampires and humans can do more than coexist--they can love each other and have children together and be a family. People like your cousin have a problem with what we represent.”

Mark didn’t think it was Henry who thought that way at all, though his father certainly did. Mark, who had friends from before the fire of all types, really had to agree with Jackson. 

“Then … your dad?”

“Vampire,” Jackson said easily. “He fell in love with mom, who’s human, and they decided they didn’t need the council’s approval for anything. That’s not exactly kosher, Mark, considering my father comes from a pretty conservative family, and a pretty pure one at that. But my parents really didn’t care. They were in love. They’ve always been balls to the walls. I get it from them.”

Mark couldn’t help laughing a little. “You are very sure of your self.” And confident. Mark admired his confidence, and the way Jackson carried himself.

“Anyway,” Jackson continued as they cut across the soccer field for what had to be the locker room. “Green means, if you ask any of your stick up the ass friends, blood that’s been severely deluded. Like, both parents being of mixed heritage, or something even further back in the line. There aren’t a lot of greenies here because of the heavy prejudice against them. Hawthorne likes to imagine it’s creating the future leaders of vampire society, and the greens won’t go on to be a part of that. I’m pretty sure the only way you get to be a green here is if you’ve got a lot of money or a lot of pull somewhere else.”

“That,” Mark eased out, “sucks.”

Jackson cut a frown at him. “I’ve really never met a blueblood like you before. Ever. You’re not the same as those other assholes.”

He wanted to point out to Jackson that his cousin wasn’t an asshole, and neither was Amber, and Zhou Mi didn’t seem like an asshole, but instead he said, “I always knew there was this sort of divide in vampire society. I’m not completely inept. My father and uncle used to get into horrible fights over things like this. But my parents never raised me to judge someone based on their bloodline.”

“Sounds like you had awesome parents.”

Mark tried not to wince, then mused, “Maybe things were different for Grace. All my life I knew her as my mother’s heir. Maybe mom and dad raised her different. But Jackson, before I came here no one ever tried to tell me who I could and couldn’t be friends with based on their bloodline. And I’m not about to start letting anyone do it now.”

Mark could feel Jackson watching him from the corner of his eye, his gaze sweeping over Mark‘s body, calculating in a way. It should have made Mark feel uncomfortable, and Henry would have said it was improper, but Jackson was thrilling in general. Mark wanted Jackson to look at him as much as possible, which probably didn’t bode well for either of them.

“I think,” Jackson said finally, “you’re really going to shake things up here, Mark. And that’s a good thing. We’ve been needing more vampires like you around here for a while. I guess we just lucked out that you’re cute to boot.”

Mark most certainly did not blush a crimson red that lasted all the way to the locker room.

His physical education class was the best part of the night. The teacher had them running laps for what felt like an endless amount of time, but afterwards they got to break up into teams and play baseball. Mark played shortstop, because he was fast and agile, and that meant for at least half the game, at least when his team wasn’t up to bat, he got to hang around Jackson who occupied third and looked darkly at any of the other team’s players who were threatening to steal a base. 

Most of the game, therefore, consisted of Mark hiding his face behind his mitt, desperately trying not to encourage Jackson who had apparently made it his lifelong mission to make fun of every pureblood who stepped up to bat. From the way they stood to the way they acted, Jackson had a witty, sharp comment to share for each. And seeing as how none of the comments were exceptionally severe, or even remotely untrue, Mark let him continue on.

A double phys ed period for Mark meant that Jackson was headed off to the first lunch session while Mark had to wait for his turn for the second. It was a little heartbreaking to Mark, who was certain they’d repaired their friendship at least somewhat, and were getting to know each other in such a comfortable way. It also meant he was alone for the second meal of the day and surrounded by blue ties, calculating eyes, and likely more enemies than allies. 

And three more class periods passed without Mark seeing Jackson, though he did share subjects with the other boys from the basketball court. With the way they were eager to sit net to him and chat, Jackson had clearly passed along the message that their issues had been resolved.

His last class of the night, the vocal elective, was packed full of nothing but purebloods, including nearly everyone from the meal table. 

Henry threw an arm around Mark’s shoulders when he was close enough and demanded, “How’s your night been going?”

Mark gave him a playful push, and then waved a small but considerate hello to a watching Zhou Mi. “Fine. I swear. Everyone’s been really nice. And I made some friends.” He left out that what he really meant was he repaired the friendship Henry had attempted to prevent, but the last thing he wanted to do was start another argument with Henry. At least in public. 

The vocal class, despite Mark not having any formal training, and his experience being any time he took a shower and sang a few lines from his favorite song, turned out to be a favorable experience. The older students were more than happy to lead the vocal charge, and they pulled him along easily, making him feel included and wanted.

Henry and Amber, and quite a few of their friends had additional classes afterwards, so Mark was left to head back to his room on his own. It was fine by him. He had a strong suspicion that there’d be a quiz the next day in his literature class, and there was plenty of other work to get started on. Mark was absolutely determined not to fall behind in any of his classes, and to, if at all possible, become a top student. 

He had a feeling his uncle wouldn’t accept anything less. 

Mark knew something was wrong the second he reached the boy’s dormitory. There were a number of people clustered around the entrance, not just boys, and all of them were talking at a frantic pace. Naturally the chatter died down the second he was spotted, but it felt different from the times before it had happened. Much different.

“Mark,” Zhou Mi said, coming up to him. He was emerging from the dormitory, making Mark wonder how he’d gotten there so fast. “Please come with me.” He curled an iron strong hand around Mark’s bicep and all but propelled him through the crowd, shielding Mark from a good deal of the watching faces. 

“What’s wrong?” Mark whispered, terrified to know the truth.

Zhou Mi inquired, “Has anyone been giving you trouble today? Has anyone made any threats to you?”

“No,” Mark said right away with a forceful shake to his head. Everyone had been above courteous, and exceptionally nice. Though it was difficult to place whether their friendliness was genuine or not. “Why?”

They headed directly to his dorm door, to the room he shared across from the room that Henry slept in. There were more people loitering in the hallway, and a few of them shot him sympatric or worried looks.

“I’ve sent someone to get your cousin,” Zhou Mi said, his breath warm against Mark’s ear. “And the Headmaster will be here within moments. I don’t want you to panic.”

“Panic?” Mark breathed out. “Panic over what?”

Panic, it turned out, over the blood red writing scribbled across his door. He could smell immediately that it wasn’t blood, only something fashioned to look like it, but it was terrifying all the same. 

“Mark?” Zhou Mi asked, solid hands on his shoulders. “Do you know anyone who could have written this?”

Bloodwhore. 

The writing on the door said bloodwhore.

“No,” Mark said, feeling a bit light headed. He leaned back against Zhou Mi, using his steady, sturdy body to keep him upright. “I don’t know who would do this. Or why.” He didn’t even know what it meant.

He just knew it was one of the most frightening things he’d ever seen. And it was more than just a warning.


	4. Four

Sleeping in Henry’s bed once more brought back all kinds of childhood memories. On far more than a few occasions his childhood days had been marked by bed sharing, cuddling, and all the things that cousins who were closer than brothers did. And maybe they were a little older now, and a lot less dependent on each other, but in the face of yet another traumatic upheaval, sharing a bed again with Henry made Mark feel safe.

“You should try to get some rest,” Henry said quietly. His fingers were stoking the soft skin at the back of Mark’s neck, attempting to lull him to sleep with their broad swipes.

“I can’t,” Mark said honestly, pulling an arm to his chest as he laid on his stomach, one leg crooked under him, his shoulder against Henry’s. It was a little awkward, how they were a little sprawled on each other, but it worked. “I can’t stop thinking about it.”

Bloodwhore.

It was a slur that Mark had never heard before, but he knew it couldn’t be good. 

Henry’s fingers stilled for a moment, just long enough for him to shuffle a little closer, then they were soothing again and he was saying, “Try not to. When you wake up it’ll be like it never happened, you’ll get to sleep in your own bed again and things will be normal again.”

Mark severely doubted that. 

“You’re safe,” Henry said. “I promised you that, and no matter what happens, I’ll keep you that way. If anything, sleep easier knowing I’m here and Zhou Mi’s outside the bedroom keeping watch from there. No one’s getting past him. I guarantee you that.”

At his cousin’s words, Mark pushed himself up a little. Dislodging Henry’s fingers he propped himself up on his elbows and in the pitch blackness of the sun protected room, Mark questioned, “Why is he here?”

“Zhou Mi is actually part of the school’s safety committee. He and several other senior students are in charge of securing the population’s safety during the school year. Mostly he spends a couple hours every day making sure wayward students get back to their dorms for some rest, and that sort of thing.”

“This feels like more than just that.”

He knew he was right the moment Henry flopped completely onto his back and gave a loud heave of air. “Zhou Mi is my friend. I told you. He’s trustworthy. He’ll protect you with his life, and that’s something incredibly powerful, Mark. Loyalty in the vampire world isn’t something you can buy. It can’t be forced or faked. It has to be earned, and Zhou Mi’s earned it a million times over. He’s watching over you especially close tonight because he is loyal to our family, and to you.”

“Me,” Mark said, mulling it over. “Why?” 

It was probably the most curious thing on his mind, more than the culprit who’d defaced his dorm door. Why would Zhou Mi, who came from a prominent family of his own, and who was older and smarter and more capable, and who could be doing anything he wanted, be paying Mark special attention.

“The why isn’t important,” Henry said, his tone saying not to push the issue. “All you need to keep in mind that he won’t ever betray you. He’ll keep your secrets. And he’ll keep you safe. There aren’t a lot of people that are safe to trust, but after me and Amber, he should be next on your list. He should be the only other person on your list.”

Mark stuck a hand under his chin. “He’s kept secrets of yours.” It was an observation more than anything else.

And tersely, Henry replied, “He’s keeping the biggest one I have at the moment. It’s a secret that could wreck me if it got out before its time, and Zhou Mi is keeping it with utmost confidence and reliability.”

A secret. Henry was keeping a secret. Mark didn’t dare ask what it was, but it had to be something big if he hadn’t shared it with anyone else, including Mark.

Henry continued on, “Speaking of, Zhou Mi and the headmaster and I are all in agreement that for the time being, it’ll be safer if you have an escort.”

“To class?” Mark questioned.

“Everywhere,” Henry said. “Just until we root out the threat to you.”

Mark’s shoulders sagged. That was the last thing he needed. He had so little freedom as it was, and he could feel Henry leeching away the rest of it as the seconds passed, no matter his intentions. 

“Henry,” Mark asked, getting settled back against his pillow again. He was going to try and sleep no matter what. Even if it meant laying perfectly still for the rest of the day until it was time to get up and go to class. “What does bloodwhore mean?”

He felt Henry stiffen beside him. “Don’t repeat that, okay? It’s a dirty, dirty slur towards a pureblood.”

“I’ve never heard it before.”

“That’s because your parents didn’t expose you to that kind of vulgarity,” Henry said right away.

Staring up at the ceiling, Mark felt Henry’s fingers slide along his and then interlock.

“Henry,” he tried again, still feeling restless. “Is everyone making such a fuss about the graffiti because of who I am?” 

“Aren’t you sleepy yet?”

“Henry?”

Henry pulled the blanket a little higher over the two of them and said reluctantly, “It’s worrying, Mark. More than you know. The slur ….”

“Yes?”

Zhou Mi had been pacing in the living room attached to Henry’s bedroom. Mark’s senses had been attuned to the sound for almost an hour, but upon this new breach of topic the sound of his shoes shuffling stilled for the first time. Mark swore he could sense something shift around him, too. This was something Henry didn’t want to talk about, and it went beyond an offensive word.

“The slur,” Henry finally said, his grip tightening on Mark’s hand, “it’s worrying because it’s the kind of slur a human would say to a vampire. No vampire would call another the word. No vampire would dare, not even at their worst moment. Only a human could be so disrespectful.”

Mark felt the realization settle over him. “You think a human wrote that on my door?”

“Yes,” Henry snapped. “So do you understand why everyone is so worried?”

Zhou Mi was pacing again, this time quicker than ever.

Mark understood. Henry and the others were worried because that meant a human had been on school property. A human had infiltrated a place that was supposed to be a vampire only protected zone, and they’d done it to make a threat. The kind that came with intention.

“Promise me,” Henry said, his voice pitching slightly, “that you will be extra careful. The humans that targeted the council and their families … the ones that killed members of our family, they haven’t been apprehended yet. They’ve gone to ground and we can’t find them. I don’t even know what we’d do if we did, without violating the treaty at all. Maybe it’s already violated. The point is, Mark, there are very dangerous humans out there who have already stuck successfully. It’s just sheer dumb luck that you survived the hit on the family, and finishing the job would throw our whole bloodline into an even more fragile position. I don’t think you understand how important it is that you’re safe.”

Live. He had to live. Even if it was hard, he had to go on.

“Sleep,” Henry urged, nudging Mark. “Fake it if you have to. But be still now.”

Mark wiggled a bit more, trying to get comfortable, and then finally succeeding. He ended up with Henry almost pressed solidly against his back, their feet tangled together, and falling asleep after that wasn’t nearly as difficult as he thought it would be.

By dusk, however, he’d had enough rest and was rolling out of bed. Henry mumbled something on the bed and flopped onto his back, clutching a pillow close. Mark gave a small laugh and then shuffled out of the bedroom.

“Oh,” he remarked, seeing Zhou Mi at the sofa against the far window, a book open in his lap. “You stayed the whole day.”

Zhou Mi gave him a serious look. “A very real threat was made against you. I wasn’t about to leave you unguarded.”

Mark thumbed towards the door. “I’m sure my uncle’s shadows, well, more like mine now, are out there. You didn’t have to stay the whole day. You’ll be tired for your classes.”

Zhou Mi’s face softened and he closed the book he’d been reading. “I wanted to make sure you slept safely through the day. I wouldn’t have been able to rest myself if I hadn’t been sure.” Zhou Mi patted the spot next to him and requested, “Sit with me?”

Mark only felt the briefest hesitation, then nodded and settled in on the bouncy sofa. “What are you reading?”

Zhou Mi flashed him the cover of the book, but it was in traditional Chinese and Mark made a face. “It’s a book on Confucius, written shortly after his death, and chronicles many of his teachings. I find Confucius to be … calming.”

“You do seem very calm,” Mark observed. 

“And you seem it as well,” Zhou Mi returned. “I expected at least a bit of panic from you, considering the previous night’s incident.”

Mark crossed is legs under him on the sofa and confessed, “I am scared. How could I not be? I’m just more determined to keep on living than let that fear get to me. And I trust Henry to make it safe for me here. Plus, Henry trusts you, so that means I trust you, too.”

There was such a look of reverence on Zhou Mi’s face that Mark wasn’t sure what he was going to say. He only knew that it was cut off completely by Henry swinging open the door to the bedroom loudly, yawning, then complaining, “It’s too early.”

“It’s dusk,” Mark said with a shrug. “Hungry?”

Henry looked instantly more alert. “Absolutely.”

It seemed the slur written on his door was all anyone wanted to talk about during first meal. Mark had to suffer through an endless amount of people announcing their shock over the situation as a whole, almost as if it was any of them who’d been threatened. Mark just tried to keep his head down and manage the meal.

He was forced to miss a good portion of his first classes, something that was not a relief, because the headmaster apparently found it necessary to beg and plead for forgiveness over the situation. 

The elder vampire assured him, “We’ve absolutely never had a breech of security on this campus! I swear to you.”

For the first hour it was all Mark could do to simply endure the man’s insistence that it would never happen again, and that the culprit would be apprehended. Of course by the second hour of the headmaster’s attention Mark was made fully aware that nothing had been caught on cameras, they had no leads, and no one was claiming responsibility.

The biggest issue seemed to be that Mark’s uncle had already heard of the event and was well on his way.

“He doesn’t need to come,” Mark said, arms flailing a little. “I’m fine, honest!”

“A prince was attacked,” the headmaster wailed, seeming more incompetent by the second, “under my watch! How will the council respond!”

Mark wondered briefly if his uncle coming did have something to do with council business. His uncle was his proxy for the next few months until he came of age.

Mark came back to the present just in time to hear the headmaster say, “--by tomorrow. That’s not nearly enough to provide sufficient proof that we’re making progress with the situation! Prince Mark, you must understand, the demands your uncle is making are unreasonable. We’re going the best we can amidst the chaos!”

“I’m sure,” Mark said, swinging to his feet, “everything will be fine with my uncle. I’ll talk to him when he comes. This wasn’t your fault.”

The headmaster was starting to wail again when Mark slipped out of his office. 

“Makes you wonder how he got his job, right?”

Mark’s head snapped down the hall to find Jackson waiting for him, a smug look on his face, arms crossed, seemingly nonchalant in such an easy way that Mark envied him. “What’re you doing here?” It was Jackson’s lurch period, and he should have been in the cafeteria with his friends.

Jackson replied easily, “I’m captain of the basketball team, remember? Beginning of the school year means I have to drop off the official roster of returning players from the previous semester, and all the information for tryouts. I could hear the headmaster wailing from the main office.”

Mark made his way to Jackson as casually as possible, wondering what it was about the teen that drew Mark in. There was nothing overly exceptional about Jackson, other than apparently the gigantic level of bravado he carried around, but he was definitely alluring. 

“He blames himself, I think, for what happened yesterday.” Mark had to shrug a bit. “I’m not sure exactly why he’s so freaked out, though. Other than my uncle planning to show up sometime tomorrow. Take it from me, he can be pretty intimidating, and sometimes you’re so distracted by how good looking he is, you never see it coming. But no one was hurt, and this could be, and probably is, just petty prejudice.” 

A sudden, serious look overtook Jackson’s face and he asked lowly, “Are you okay?” The way his voice turned a bit scratchy in tone had Mark’s knees knocking together like he was a fourteen year old girl.

“Me?” Mark said. “Of course. I wasn’t even there when it happened. I wasn’t in any danger.”

“Mark.” Jackson gave him a dark frown. “I don’t think you understand the severity of--”

“I do,” Mark cut in sharply. “I do.”

“Okay.” Jackson gave a slow nod. “But still, kind of rough, right?”

“It sucks,” Mark said. He leaned back against the wall next to Jackson, a sad smile on his face. “I never did anything to anyone, you know? I tried to be a good son, a good brother and a good friend. My parents had their heir with my sister. And she was amazing at what she did. But that wasn’t my world. I didn’t know anything about the council and I didn’t want to. I just wanted to be a kid. But here I am. And now people hate me because something terrible happened to put me in this position, and maybe worse, they hate what I was born as. How is that fair?”

“It’s not.”

Mark scratched his fingers into his hair. “It’s just overwhelming. I know I shouldn’t be complaining. I’m alive and here and I should be so, so thankful. But I feel like I can hardly breathe at times. Sometimes I feel like I don’t want to--like it might be better if I was dead too.”

He didn’t know why it was all spilling out of him suddenly, and to Jackson of all people. But it was coming out so easily and it felt right. He didn’t need a response from Jackson, who was looking at him with a mixture of sadness and sympathy, he just needed someone to listen. 

“You want to get out of here?”

Mark paused. “Get out of here?”

Jackson threw him a flirtatious wink. “Yeah. You look like you could use a little stress relief, and I know just the place to take care of that.”

There were a million reasons why the idea sounded horrible, and Mark had to say firstly, “We have class in less than half an hour.”

“You think someone is going to call you out on missing class? After what happened yesterday? I’m surprised you haven’t gotten a free pass for the week. And I think it’s probably pretty safe to say that class isn’t my number one priority. Anyway, class here is more like daycare. We’re just supposed to occupy our time and not get into trouble. I know someone’s told you that already.”

Mark put his hands on his hips and reasoned, “I’m not supposed to leave campus, or be by myself right now. Someone’s supposed to come pick me up from the headmaster’s office soon.”

“One,” Jackson said, ticking fingers off expertly, “we’re not leaving campus. Two, you’re going to be with someone--me. And three, I’m way more stubborn than you are, so you should probably save your breath and just give in now. How can you say no to this face?”

The very real issue that was growing with unmatched ferocity was that Mark wasn’t sure he would be able to say no for very long.

“Stress relief,” Mark said. “What kind of stress relief?”

Jackson wiggled his eyebrows at Mark. “Follow me and find out.”

They ended up heading directly to arts department of campus, down stairs instead of up, and to a place that Mark hadn’t even known existed. He wasn’t sure many people knew it existed at all with how deserted it was, only a stray student or two passing them as they walked on.

Mark heard the music before anything else, and then the vibration of the beat. 

“Is there a party going on?” Mark asked, trying not to panic as his fingers brushed Jackson’s carelessly. 

“Sort of,” Jackson threw at him. “One we get actual school credit for, too.”

The so called party was actually a school class. 

Dance class.

“You’re going to love it!” Jackson had to shout to be heard, then pulled Mark fully through to a large room without windows, mirrors lining one wall, and around forty people packed in, most of them dancing.

“Jackson!” JB called out. Then he followed it up with, “Mark! Get over here!”

Mark, who’d been accused of being too timid before, too shy, and not nearly enough of a people person to make friends easily, felt his heart swell with how easily he was accepted by the group of people gathered around. It seemed that they naturally discounted his title and bloodline, and accepted him simply as Jackson’s friend.

And stress relief it was.

Within minutes Mark found himself hopping around with JB and Jr., his eyes locked on the sight of Jackson and Youngjae working on what looked like complicated and highly choreographed moves.

Yugyeom swung into Mark’s view suddenly, part of what looked like something of a conga line, and followed his line of sight. “You want to learn?” he asked a bit breathless.

Nearby a lithe and fit female form spiraled through the hair, catapulted by a bigger boy. A huge cheer went up as the girl landed perfectly and accepted praise. 

“That,” Mark said, one hundred percent sure. “I want to learn that.”

Yugyeom laughed, then called out, “Jackson! Get over here! Mark’s actually about to be impressed by something you can do.”

Awed, Mark asked, “Jackson can do that?”

Yugyeom said, “You have no idea.”

Tricking. They called it tricking, and Mark was in love with it.

Of course Jackson and the earlier duo weren’t the only ones who could trick. It seemed like almost everyone in the room could do a little, but Mark could only concentrate on Jackson who gave a boisterous display, flipping to the side, spinning wildly, and then landing perfectly.

“You want to lean?” Jackson asked. The music had been kicked up a notch or two again and Jackson had to shout into Mark’s ear to be heard. “I can teach you!”

Mark nodded wildly. “Please.”

“Next time!” Jackson called out, a new song starting up with a radically different beat that had everyone moving to a new tempo and the floor practically bouncing under the combined weight of everyone jumping.

For the next hour, Mark felt free.

No one was watching him, no one was judging him, and no one seemed to care in the least bit who he was. They only cared if he participated, and if he was having fun.

People began to clear out too soon for Mark’s tastes. The music was turned down and the leader of the impromptu dance session, a stern looking vampire named Key, called an end to it all.

“Clear out, clear out,” Key demanded, waving at them to finish up. “The ballet students have to use the room in twenty minutes.”

Jackson snagged them each a water bottle from the nearby dispenser and told Mark, “If you really liked today, even a little bit of it, you should consider joining the actual dance class next semester. It’s more formal than what we just crashed, but it’s the same basic concept. And once you get into that class, you can do the more advanced moves you saw some of the others doing. And the tricking.”

Mark climbed the stairs back to the ground level and took a long drink of water. “I really want to learn tricking. To be able to fly through the air like that, and be so out of control and in control at the same time, is absolutely amazing. I want that. I want to be free.”

Jackson stopped him with a sudden hand to Mark’s arm and a worried expression. “Mark.” They were alone on the stairwell, close to the ground floor, but not quite there. And with the poor lighting of the stairwell, it made Mark feel like they were the only people for miles.

“Huh?”

“I don’t …” Jackson shook his head. “You’re a prince. You’re the head of your family, even if you got that way through some pretty shitty things happening. People fear you, and respect you, and obey you. How could you not be free?”

Jackson’s hand on Mark’s bare arm, the skin superheated by the workout he’d just gone through, felt like it was threatening to sear right down to the bone.

“You don’t think you’re free?” Jackson asked quietly, his hand sliding a little up on Mark’s arm. It was such an intimate gesture that Mark didn’t know what to think of it. In truth not many people actually touched him, other than Henry and Amber. But Jackson’s touch didn’t feel wrong, and Mark found himself leaning into it, almost wanting it.

“It’s complicated,” Mark told him, trying to sound confident in his response. “But I’m convinced the more power you get, the less freedom you have. It’s like--”

“Prince Mark.”

The moment with Jackson shattered in an instant and Mark looked further up the stairs to where a stern Zhou Mi was waiting.

“You know this guy?” Jackson asked.

Zhou Mi, still the perfect picture of reserved behavior, asked, “Do you have any idea the panic you’ve set the school into?”

“Me?” Mark pressed a finger into his chest. “That I’ve what?”

Zhou Mi reminded, “You were supposed to wait for me at the headmaster’s office. When you weren’t there, and couldn’t be found elsewhere, there was panic.”

Mark felt a heavy weight settle in his stomach and he felt absolutely terrible. “Zhou Mi,” he said, jogging up to where the taller man stood. “I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry. Is Henry … freaking out?”

Zhou Mi gave him a weathered expression. “He’s very worried. You should have let someone know you were going off with … questionable company.”

“Hey!” Jackson snapped, charging up to Zhou Mi, anger radiating from him. “Who do you think you are?”

“Who I think you are is irrelevant,” Zhou Mi said, pressing a solid hand between Mark’s shoulder blades to guide him from the stairs. “I need only concern myself with what I think your intentions may be with Prince Mark.”

“He’s my friend,” Jackson bit out. “Which is more than I think you are.”

“Jackson,” Mark said softly, almost certain that the tenseness in Zhou Mi’s shoulders and the clipped tone in the way he was speaking meant that he’d been just as worried as Henry likely was now. “I really had fun today. Thank you. But I think I need to go calm my cousin down now. I’ll see you tomorrow? In class?”

He felt bad, leaving Jackson standing in the stairwell, but Mark couldn’t help thinking what a burden he was being to Henry, and how he needed to apologize. Or start wearing a tracking bracelet. One of the two. He knew which his cousin would likely prefer.

“Mark,” Zhou Mi said, his voice a tad more pleasant sounding when they were on their way to the main building, “has Henry spoken to you about choosing your company carefully?”

Mark’s jaw locked. “You are not going to tell me who I can and can’t be friends with. Don’t you dare.”

“Of course not.”

The simple and easy statement caught Mark off guard, and he peered up at the taller man in disbelief. “Really? Because Henry seems to think that I only need pureblood friends, and that I’m just wasting my time with anyone else. That’s not a sentiment I share.”

Zhou Mi’s large, firm hand prodded Mark along. “I believe you are fully capable of choosing your own friends, and I trust your judgment. What I do not trust are the intentions of others. You are not nearly as worldly as you perceive yourself to be, and others will see that in you, attempt to take advantage, and likely get away with it if you allow them to.”

“Jackson just wants to be my friend,” Mark defended. The issue of Mark wanting to be more than simply friends with Jackson was a whole different story. “How could that be something anyone could take advantage of? Or is this really just about the fact that he’s got a human mother?”

With a placating look, Zhou Mi said, “I simply want you to be very aware of the company you keep, the questions they ask you, the things they want from you, and how it reflects back on you and your family. You have a bloodline to support now, Mark. You have weight on your shoulders. If anything happens to you, there would be vampire unrest, the likes of which none of us can begin to predict the depth of. You have no direct heir, and that must always be at the forefront of your mind.” 

Mark frowned. “How would there be unrest? If, not that I really like imaging anything happening to me, something did, wouldn’t my uncle inherit the head of the family position? I am the last of my mother’s children and she was the heir before me, but he’s her brother.”

Zhou Mi shook his head slightly. “Your uncle was invalidated decades ago from the line of succession. Therefore, after you, several of your cousins come into contention, but you could say the blood goes thin with them. Without you staking this claim, there would be nothing but inner fighting within the fourth family, and that kind of instability ruins not only the bloodline in question, but the others tied to it. It’s a bit of a mess to consider.”

His uncle was invalidated? How was this the first Mark was hearing about the subject? He’d always known from a young age that eldest siblings inherited the head of family position, and though his mother and uncle had been twins, she’d been older by fourteen minutes. But his uncle had never let that fourteen minute head start get the better of him, and he’d spent his life steeped in vampire politics. What could one do that was so bad to be invalidated from the line of succession? And then what about Henry?

“Don’t look so glum,” Zhou Mi offered. “Your cousin and I, along with many others, will keep that from ever becoming an issue. You have allies here, Mark, even if some of them are hard to see. And for as much as I suspect your cousin has warned you not to trust others, there are many here loyal to the fourth family. In fact, you have cousins here from the eight family, the one in which your father belonged to, that will ally with you out of respect for your father alone. For as many here who will test you, there are many more who will stand with you.”

Mark thought Zhou Mi thought to comfort him with the talk, but he could only think back to hours previous when Henry had said so confidently that Zhou Mi was loyal to them, and to be absolutely trusted. “Why are you taking care of me like this? Why are you invested?”

“Our bloodlines have been allies for a very long time,” Zhou Mi said. “My family benefits from your survival, just as one day you will benefit from mine. This is the nature of the thirteen families.”

It seemed an odd comment to make. But Mark was quickly realizing there were so many things that lacked context for him at the moment, and so few answers that were actually tangible. 

Unexpectedly, Zhou Mi offered, “The only thing you need to know is that I will always act in your best interest, and when you don’t know where to turn, look for me.”

Mark let slip, “You’re different from a lot of the other purebloods here, Zhou Mi. Much different.” And not just because there was an elegance and class to him that was far superior to anything the others had. 

“Does it suit me?”

Mark offered a quick nod. 

“Then I’m satisfied.”

Mark filed the whole exchange away for inspection on another day.

Henry, mercifully, was far more lenient in his scolding than Mark expected. There was a lecture, a drawn out one about keeping his phone on him at all times, going off only with acceptable people, and making better judgments calls. All the while Zhou Mi stood near them, looking distant, not offering a word either for or against Mark’s actions.

It was likely Henry was only going easy on him because by the time they were turning in for the day, Mark getting to go back to his own room for the first time since the graffiti, word had gotten around that Mark’s uncle was expected to show in less than twelve hours. The look on Henry’s face said he didn’t envy Mark in the least bit.

The only good thing about his uncle coming, apparently, was that Mark got to go off campus.

His uncle took him to a posh restaurant, one that required Mark to wear his school uniform because he was lacking anything more suitable, and had more forks on the table than Mark thought had existed before in his house. And when they were seated they had a huge berth of privacy that unsettled Mark’s stomach.

“Henry tells me there’s been an unacceptable incident,” his uncle began, a flute of fresh blood caught between long fingers. “I want you to rest assured, Mark, I will personally see that this taken care of and poses no future threat to your well being.”

Mark toyed with the condensation on the glass of water in front of him, an iron tablet to the side of it. “Henry said it’s the kind of slur only a human would make against a vampire. That means humans were on campus, weren’t they?”

“Most likely,” his uncle said right away, and Mark appreciated his upfront nature more than anything else about him. “But they will be caught, and punished. No human will ever be a threat to you again. I won’t let my sister’s only remaining child endure things such as these.”

When the waiter came to take their order, Mark was silent as his uncle spoke for the both of them. And he certainly didn’t ask why his uncle still enjoyed food, despite it being such a human thing. They obviously didn’t eat for sustenance. They ate purely for the social aspect of it, and because whether or not hey needed food to live, it still tasted good. But his uncle, who was staunchly anti-human, seemed the type of vampire to give it up completely.

Or maybe the kind of vampire to embrace the old ways and pick off unsuspecting humans. That kind of behavior was indicative to their very nature, even Mark understood that. They were predators, humans were natural prey, and fighting that wasn’t something all vampires were necessarily equipped to do. Not all wanted to.

Despite the tentative peace between humans and vampires, accidents did still happen. Accidents in the way of rogue vampires, and over zealous hunters, and all kinds of Misunderstandings. The council’s very role was to interpret and handle these instances, and it was not something Mark looked forward to. What vampire could take joy in the idea of having to put one of their own down?

His uncle cleared his voice and said, “Truth be told, I’m not merely here to discuss your school’s abysmal security breach. I’m also here as your acting proxy. There was a council meeting yesterday, a provisionary one with only around half the representatives, but you need to be informed of it none the less.”

A year from now, no matter how difficult it was to imagine his life so far in the future, he’d be attending council meetings. He wouldn’t have a proxy anymore, and he’d have to pick up and leave without the slightest bit of advanced notice, if the council called. 

“We were discussing the attack on your family, along with the others,” his uncle said, ruining Mark’s appetite. 

“Did you find the humans responsible? Or at least determine a motive?”

“Motive?” His uncle scoffed, then took a long drink from the glass, downing almost half the liquid, likely before it got too cold to enjoy. “Their motives are clear, Mark. They mean to disrupt our proceedings, destroy our societies’ very structure, and reduce our numbers. These humans, for as foul and vile as they are, see us as the threats we are to them. Their targeting of influential, powerful, and pure families, is not coincidence.”

Mark eyed the fine line of scar tissue just visible underneath his uncle’s shirt’s collar. It was a faint reminder that he’d had this throat slashed by an iron blade, nearly bled out, and was probably any even bigger target now for surviving. 

Clearing his throat and trying to be as serious and mature as possible, Mark questioned, “The council and its enforcers can’t root the humans out?”

His uncle shook his head. “As I said before, they’ve gone to ground, and until they expose themselves again, all the digging in the world won’t find them. The council, however, has been considering reviewing and possibly revising the treaty for instances such as these. In fact the motion has been on the table for years. Only recently has it gained momentum.”

“Revising? Do you mean changing?”

The treaty was the only thing keeping the humans and the vampires from all out war. The humans had the numbers, multiplying rapidly and in mass, but vampires were deadly and ruthless in ways humans could never be, not to mention superior physically. The last instance of human/vampire conflict, the moment that had led to the first provisional treaty, had incurred hundreds of thousands of deaths on both sides. Mark’s grandparents had helped forge the first treaty, and many of his family members had given their lives to uphold it.

The treaty wasn’t perfect, Mark knew that much, but it worked. It allowed for humans and vampires to coexist, and more than that, fall in love and have families. Even if it worked just barely, it worked. It kept the two groups from waging war on each other through its zero tolerance policy for violence. But it was clearly ineffective against radicals and anarchists. The kind of vampires who attacked humans for fun, and humans who burned vampire children alive simply for existing.

What would a change to the treaty mean for that peace?

“The night your parents and Grace left for the council meeting with me, Mark, the topic was the treaty itself. There has been much debate for years, and finally a vote has been approved.”

“What kind of vote?” Mark felt his chest seize. 

His uncle looked absolutely terrifying when Mark met his gaze. Like a true predator. The kind with a personal vendetta.

“The treaty allows for no provisions for ailing vampires who have suffered a loss at the hands of a human. Retaliatory attacks are forbidden.”

Mark nodded slowly. “There’s a join human and vampire task force for crimes involving both parties. They’re the ones handling my family’s murder.” And, in Mark’s opinion, making no progress. Part of Mark knew they probably wouldn’t make any progress ever. There was no way the council would ever divulge enough information to give the human’s anything to work with. Not that humans and vampires worked well together even with an even playing field.

“The vote may change that.”

Dread crept across Mark’s skin in a warning. “But if we start taking justice into our own hands, like vigilantes, the humans will strike back. We’ll be on the cusp of war within a year. Maybe less. The council of vampire families and the human government only remain at peace because both parties uphold the treaty. If one or both buckle under the stress of radicals, it will come to war.”

His uncle reminded, “There is more momentum for this consideration than you would believe, and you are not the only one who is hurting desperately from the human attacks. Mark, when this vote comes to pass, it will be you who casts for this family. Therefore, you need to think very carefully about the subject at hand. Will you allow the humans to continue to hurt us? Attack us? Will you let mothers be stolen from children, and sisters from brothers? Will you allow the humans to pluck us from existence one by one until there are so few of us left we are more of a dying breed than we already are? Or will you vote to change how we have been silenced from justice?”

At a whisper, Mark asked, “What if we start a war? Even the idea of possibly going back on our terms of agreement could spark that.” What if he cast a vote in favor of something that started a war with the humans? How could he live with himself?

“We are already at war,” his uncle said softly. “When humans burned your sister and brother alive, that was war. When they cut your mother’s throat, crushed your father’s skull, and did worse to Grace, that was war. A vote to reconsider the contents of the treaty will merely make it official, and give power back to the vampire community.”

“Stop,” Mark snapped, hands twisting in his lap. He couldn’t hear this. He wouldn’t. “We can’t go to war. Humans and vampires nearly wiped each other last time it happened.”

“They attack us every day in every way,” his uncle snapped back. “And we allow them to because we wish to protect an archaic treaty that is as ineffective as it is outdated. A change needs to happen, Mark. That’s my belief. Or else the next person the humans kill may be Henry, or Amber, or any other vampire you care about. What will you do then? Nothing?”

His uncle was still so angry at the humans for killing his wife and then his sister. He was filled with so much hate and anger. Mark could see it clearly when he spoke, and there was no doubt in Mark’s mind the way his uncle would vote if he had the chance.

But Mark, for all his own anger and fear, couldn’t so easily consider a course of action that would destroy peace. Not all humans were representative of the ones that had murdered his family, and there was plenty of proof everywhere that humans were capable of such goodness. 

“I’ll think about it,” Mark said slowly, and with a promise. It wasn’t a lie.

“They’re getting more bold, Mark,” his uncle said, peering off to the window nearby. The city was alight with life. “Fifty years ago these humans were so few in number the other, less radical humans could manage them. Now they’re the majority, Mark. The humans resent us. They hate us. And they will destroy us if we don’t do something. We cannot continue to operate under a system that allows for the systematic slaughter of vampires, with only human bureaucracy to show for the justice we seek.”

“A vote just seems so extreme,” Mark whispered. “A vote to break a treaty that my mother believed in.”

“To revise,” came the quick response from his uncle, though Mark understood the euphemism for what it was. Revise and break were utterly interchangeable.

Mark mumbled, “You have my world I won’t take this matter lightly.”

His uncle urged, “Think wisely but quickly. Thirteen families exist to allow for a clear majority in any situation. And the way things are structured now, taking into account alliances and hostilities within the families due to recent events, you will very likely be the deciding vote. It will be on your shoulders to make the right decision.”

Feeling sick to his stomach Mark picked up the iron tablet and dropped it in the glass of water in front of him. He watched it dissolve in an instance and wished he were the tablet. 

Or anyone else in the world.


	5. Five

Something was off about the entire situation, Mark just wasn’t sure what. Everything seemed normal at least, from the setting sun in the distance to the grains of sand beneath his bare feet. There was a beach tent set up around twenty feet away, white and swaying with the breeze, and inside his sister Tammy was tapping furiously on an electronic device, completely ignoring everything else. It was so like her Mark smiled almost reflexively. 

“Mark!” Joey called out, waving to him from the water. He kicked up some ocean, bounced forward as a wave knocked into him, and yelled, “Get in here!”

Grace wasn’t too far away, nothing but her feet in the water, the tide pushing and pulling against her ankles as she complained about the temperature of the water.

“You look deep in thought, darling,” his mother said, appearing behind him and putting her delicate hands on his shoulders. “This is a vacation.”

Mark’s father streaked past the two of them, strong legs pumping as he catapulted himself into the water.

“Dad!” Grace shrieked, immediately sprayed with water, the drops blotting against her pristine bathing suit. “Really!”

“Coming in the water?” his mother asked, squeezing his shoulder. She pressed a soft kiss to the side of his head and reminded, “Only a few more weeks until school starts back up. That’ll mean after school activities for you and Joey, and your father and I will be called away quite frequently. Grace as well. Plus, Tammy will be away full time at university. We won’t get to be like this again until Christmas break.”

Mark gave her a huge grin. Christmas time was his favorite time of the year. His mother would throw her infamous Christmas party, all his cousins and family would come to visit. On top of hundreds of people he saw only once a year, there’d be great food, typically a performance piece from Tammy and her harp or Grace on the piano, and it would end, like always, with his uncle and father getting into a pissing match. Their fights were more tradition now than the actual holiday. 

“Miranda!” his father called from the water.

“Coming, dear!” 

Mark was certain he was the last holdout, after Tammy who probably wouldn’t be budged from the beach tent for anything less than the end of the world. Even Grace was shimmying her way into the water, her engagement bracelet hanging from her wrist, catching the dying sun.

Mark couldn’t wait for the moon to be up and the sun fully gone. As a pureblood he could withstand the sun at least somewhat, but he was still young, and slight exposure was uncomfortable, while prolonged exposure was dangerous. In a few decades, when he was much older and a full adult, with gifts and abilities, the sun would be nothing to him. But for now it was a nuisance. 

“Wait for me!” Mark called out, following after his mother. 

He reached the ocean’s edge, the normally blue water almost black now, and paused. Feet from the water, he stopped, and no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t take another step forward.

“Mark!”

The air felt a little thin and Mark looked around. He was certain he’d heard his name, but it hadn’t come from any of the people in the water, or his sister back in the beach tent. 

“Mom?” he called out.

“Come in, darling! The water’s still a bit warm from the sun!” She waved a hand at him, then turned to splash Mark’s father who’d given her leg somewhat of a frightful pull from under the water.

“Mark! Don’t!”

There it was again. 

Mark looked to Joey, who was snorkeling with the last bit of light, his flipper covered feet flopping out of the ocean as he swayed with the tide.

It wasn’t Grace, either, who was busy tying her hair up, warning their father not to get it wet. She was going to see her match tomorrow, and Mark had seen her fret about everything from the shade of her hair to the clothing she planned to wear. It was an odd thing coming from his normally so confident sister, but Mark supposed anyone would get nervous spending time around the person they were supposed to get married to, especially if that person wasn’t their personal choice. 

“Mark! Stop!”

“What!” he demanded, whirling around. The sun was getting even lower, and even with his enhanced sight, things were getting murky and dark. 

“What are you waiting for?” his father called out. “Come on.”

Mark took a hesitant step foreword. The growing feeling that something was wrong was paralyzing. 

Grace laughed out, “It’s really not that bad.”

So Mark took another step, and then three more, and his toes were wet.

His eye drifted to his parents, his father swimming circles around his mother, his mother pretending like she wasn’t still completely enamored with him like she was sixteen all over again. They were the real deal, in Mark’s eyes. So many years of marriage, still so in love with each other. And much to his and his brother’s dismay, there’d even been talk of another baby. Tammy was in college, Grace was set to be married when she had her degree in a year, and even the current baby of the family, Joey, was only a year away from high school. 

It was cringe worthy to think of his parents having sex, but Mark understood why they might want another baby. Vampires usually met exceptional challenge with conceiving. Their birth raters were abysmally low. His parents had already beaten the odds and statistics by having four children in such a short span of time. They were almost obligated to keep trying, if only to make up for vampires who’d spent hundreds or years attempting to conceive and never once been successful. 

Mark personally did not enjoy the idea of a new baby brother or sister seventeen or so years younger than him. But they did live exceptionally long lives, so it was maybe an idea to get used to. It wasn’t so unusual for vampire siblings to have as much as fifty to seventy-five years between them.

With the water up to his calves, Mark looked out at the horizon. He heard his name called again and again, and ignored it, pushing forward. The mixture of orange and pink, dying in the light, was so beautiful.

This was the last hurrah before school started. This was the last time to be with his family all together before they went in a million different directions. He had to appreciate this and he had to cherish it. 

With water up to his thighs Mark pulled the drawstring on his swim trunks a little tighter, then plunged forward.

And abruptly woke, with water down his throat, a horrible burn to his skin, and frantic screaming all around him.

“Shhh,” someone hushed in his hear and Mark couldn’t help giving a whimper. The burn to his skin was now like fire and it hurt. “Just relax,” the voice hushed again and Mark let himself give in. His feet were swept off the ground and something dark was thrown over him as he was held by strong arms.

He couldn’t think. He couldn’t process what was going on. All he knew was that he’d just been at the beach, with his family, only that didn’t make any sense, because they hadn’t gone to the beach for months. And they were all dead now.

The person holding him, the one holding him so surely that Mark was certainly he wouldn’t fall, was running. To where, Mark didn’t know, but it was hard enough to concentrate on why he’d thought he was at the beach.

Had it been a dream? He’d been dreaming?

Alright, Mark could accept that. He’d been having some wild dreams as of late. But why was his skin on fire? And who was with him? Holding him?

A new, more familiar and pitched voice cut through, “What in the hell happened to him?”

Mark curled his hand up against the material covering him. It hurt to move at all, but he was desperate for something to cling to.

Low and even, like always, Mark recognized Zhou Mi right away as he said, “I found him at the far edge of the property, at the lake, more than half in the water. In fact, he was going under just as I arrived.”

“What the hell was he doing there?”

Henry. That was Henry.

“Zhou Mi,” Mark breathed out, and for just a split second, less than half of one, he felt Zhou Mi stall out a little bit in his speed. Then they were moving even faster than before. 

“I think he was sleep walking,” Zhou Mi said.

A heavy door banged open and finally Mark was free from whatever Zhou Mi had thrown over him. The reveal told him two very important things.

Firstly, whatever had happened to him was bad enough to land him directly in the infirmary. It was bad enough to require some sort of medical attention, or else he probably would have been taken back to his dorm to rest. But instead he was looking at the fully stocked medical facility the school had to offer, and the vampire doctor who oversaw it. 

And second, he’d spent a lot of time in the sun. 

“We’re almost there,” Zhou Mi promised, Henry flying ahead, pushing open doors for them until they reached a private room in the infirmary. He moved just the slightest as Zhou Mi placed him down on the bed, and the agony of his skin was even worse than before, now aggravated by his clothing, the sheets on the bed, and even the mere air around them.

“He’s been exposed to direct sunlight?” the doctor asked, already pulling at Mark’s clothing, shredding through the material with surgical sheers.

Mark reached for Zhou Mi, clearly catching him off guard. “You found me?”

Henry slid in next to him, helping the doctor remove the shirt and pajama pants Mark had gone to sleep in.

“You were sleep walking,” Zhou Mi told him gently. “You likely wandered the property for a while and ended up at the lake. Mark, listen to me, you’re going to be okay. You’re burned, but the water from the lake actually helped. Now, just let us get you out of your wet clothes and treat your burns.”

That explained why he was soaking wet.

The doctor prodded his skin and Mark arched away, unable to help the shout of pain.

“Be careful,” Zhou Mi snapped, and it seemed to be the most angry Mark had ever seen him.

The doctor ignored him, musing aloud, “These burns are quite severe. The sun is very high right now. It’s nearly past noon.” And that explained why Zhou Mi and Henry were both dressed in heavy, dark clothing, protective shielding from the sun.

“I was dreaming about my family,” Mark said, directing his words to Zhou Mi who hadn’t looked away from him for a second. “I didn’t even know I was dreaming. It seemed so real.”

Zhou Mi’s hand came down firmly on the top of Mark’s head, avoiding what must have been a sunburned forehead. “You’re fine now. You’re safe. I want you to try to rest.”

A quick prick to his shoulder had Mark glaring daggers at the doctor, and the syringe in his hand. “What was that?”

It was Zhou Mi who answered, promising, “It’s just something to help you relax while he treats your injures. You’re going to take a short nap, and when you wake, you’ll feel much better. You have my word. 

Mark peered at Zhou Mi with a wondrous expression, already feeling exhausted to the point of sleep. “You’re always there when I need you. You always know.”

“Sleep,” Zhou Mi urged.

Mark slept.

When he woke, almost thirteen hours later, he was covered in salve and bandages, and had a weepy Henry on his hands. 

Voice rough from sleep, Mark asked, “How did you know I was out of my room?”

Henry seemed so guilty, hanging his head. “I snuck out to visit Amber. I mean, it’s really hard to get unsupervised time with her. And it’s not like I can just waltz into her dorm, and she certainly can’t come to ours. So we have to sneak out while people are sleeping and meet somewhere else. I was coming back when I noticed your door was wide open. I panicked, alerted Zhou Mi and the other students on patrol, and we got a search party for you going.”

“How bad are the burns?” Mark asked, looking down at his bandage wrapped arms. His legs, thankfully, had been saved by the pants he’d been wearing, but his arms still ached something horrible, even with the pain medication he had to be on, and his nose and cheeks didn’t feel much better. His bangs might have protected some of his forehead, but even it was achy as well. He probably looked a mess.

“They’ll heal,” Henry said with a relieved tone. “In a couple of weeks you’ll be back to normal, but in order to have the degree and amount of burns you do, you had to be out in the direct sunlight for at least an hour. Probably more than that. If Zhou Mi hadn’t found you …”

“He’s always in the right place at the right time, isn’t he?”

Mark was actually thankful he was alone in the infirmary room with only Henry. He was forever indebted to Zhou Mi, but the man was starting to feel like a shadow to Mark . It was scary how he was always there, always anticipating where Mark was, or what he needed. 

“He’s a good man, Mark. A very good man.” 

So why was there unease prickling at the back of Mark’s mind every time he thought about how often Zhou Mi was there whenever something went wrong? Was it just good timing on the part of Zhou Mi? Was Mark thinking about it too much? Or was something else going on?

Mark nodded. “I suppose he is.”

He had to spend the next twenty-four hours in the infirmary, field two calls from his uncle, deal with a blubbering headmaster, and absolutely convince Henry that he didn’t need to be handcuffed to his bed for safety before he was allowed to be discharged from the infirmary. Then he was relegated to his dorm room and not allowed to leave until the campus doctor cleared him, which he was advised would be for days more.

In light of his skin that was only looking worse as the days passed, Mark was more than willing to hide out for a while, but even he wondered how long it would be before cabin fever set in.

He had all sorts of visitors in that time, well wishers and people who were clamoring to make themselves of use to him. Sycophants, obviously, and what his uncle would refer to as bottom feeders. Henry and Zhou Mi ran them out for the most part and Henry was able to sleep as he healed.

But on the third day of his doctor imposed captivity, and with the walls quickly closing in, there was a knock at the door. A knock at the door ruled out Henry, who never bothered to knock at all, and both Amber and Zhou Mi who were in class. His family’s watch dogs were even more persistent as of late, which meant whoever was on the other side of the door, wasn’t a physical threat to him. So Mark’s curiosity won out and he answered it.

Prince Siwon was not who he was expecting. 

After their initial first meeting, and Henry’s subsequent warning of the pureblood, Mark had done his best to steer clear completely. He didn’t share any classes with Siwon, and thankfully, the school seemed no place for open politics. Things would certainly be different when they were away at council meetings, but for now, Mark hadn’t thought politically handling Siwon was something he needed to do.

But here was Siwon, flanked by a bored looking female vampire who was examining her nails. Mark had seen enough vampire bodyguards to spot one a mile away. She might have looked harmless, but she was likely ferocious. 

“Can I … help you?” Mark leaned a little on his door. He didn’t want to invite Siwon in, but neither did he want to offend the vampire. They weren’t allies, but he didn’t want them to be enemies.

A charismatic smile pulled at Siwon’s handsome face and the upturn of his lips to reveal his fangs had Henry feeling extremely uncomfortable. 

“I heard about your … mishap,” Siwon said, dipping into a bow with a flourish.

Mark hastened to return the gesture. They were both princes, both the representatives of their bloodlines, and decorum was everything now. “I’m sure half of the state has heard of it by now.”

“So unfortunate,” Siwon mentioned, tipping his head, “for the head of a bloodline to be afflicted by such a … human condition.”

His palms were sweating and his heart was starting to race, something he knew Siwon could pick up on effortlessly. What kind of game was Siwon playing? Was this what he could expect from vampires for the rest of his life?

“I don’t normally sleepwalk,” Mark said, and even that admission felt like he was revealing a weakness. He’d had the condition when he was younger, the direct result of the trauma associated with his brother’s kidnapping attempt, but even then the sleep walking hadn’t lasted long. Months only, really. He’d overcome it with a bit of therapy and extra attention from his parents, and he hadn’t had a single incident since then. 

“No?” Siwon asked with fake surprise.

“Stress related,” Mark replied, eyes narrowing. “A temporary thing, I assure you. I’m adjusting well, of course. Actually, I should think you’d be able to understand, at least a bit. You lost someone incredibly important to you at the same moment I lost my immediate family.”

There was a flicker of something real, for the first time, on Siwon’s face. It was wretched in its intensity and it almost made Mark regret his words. He’s struck something in Siwon, but more than that, he’d proven that Siwon wasn’t completely unaffected by his father’s passing. It had meant something to Siwon, even if Siwon hadn’t let it show previously. And Mark pushed, “Your father, correct?”

Siwon’s mouth pulled tight. “You are correct. He was slaughtered, along with your parents and Grace, and many more. He was slaughtered like a pig, throat cut and drowned in his own blood.”

Mark sucked in a tight breath as the female vampire stiffened. 

“Tea?” Mark offered, and he wasn’t sure why, but it felt right. Siwon really wasn’t a physical threat, Henry or Zhou Mi would be back in less than a half hour, and he ought to learn how to handle other vampires by himself. He couldn’t always lean on others, and Siwon was someone he’d have in his life for the next hundred years at least. “I can make us tea, if you want to come in.”

Siwon hesitated, indicating that he hadn’t really come by for a social visit, but a second after Mark opened the door wider, he turned to his companion and asked her to come back for him in fifteen minutes.

“I haven’t exactly been expecting company,” Mark said when the water was heating and Siwon was perched oddly on the edge of the sofa in the common room.

“It’s my error,” Siwon said, eyes traveling around the room, so obviously landing on the urn with ashes inside. “I know the proper channels to take, and I came unannounced.”

Mark set two cups down on a nearby tray and wondered the sight he made, in his pajamas, hair mused from hours of running his fingers through it while attempting to keep up on his studies and reading. He hardly looked the part of a prince, not like Siwon who exuded nobility.

“So … ah …” Mark finished putting the kettle on the tray and brought it over to Siwon who he served just like his mother had taught him to. “How bad are the rumors?”

“That you’re writhing in continuous pain, horribly disfigured and tormented by your own reflection.”

The even tone of Siwon’s words caught Mark off guard, then the elder vampire let loose a small smile and Mark laughed out loud. “I’ll hate to disappoint them tomorrow when I go to class not filled with self loathing.”

“No,” Siwon agreed, accepting the tea and meeting his eyes with a much more genuine smile this time. “You are merely a little red in the face, but still as handsome as before.”

The compliment was the most offsetting. Few people had called him handsome in his life. Though when he considered everything, he was always surrounded by protective family members. There was hardly a chance for compliments to be paid to him.

“Well,” Mark said, clearing his throat blowing on his tea, “you can pass on the message to the masses that I’m not taking after the fabled Hunchback. And maybe you could add in that the fourth family isn’t going down that easily.” He squared his shoulders confidently. “I’m young, I know. I get it. I don’t know what I’m doing and I’m going to make mistakes, but I’m going to do right by my family. I’m going to be the head of the fourth family that it deserves.”

“You are young,” Siwon agreed, mouth hidden behind his tea cup. “Far too young to be competent at your inherited position.”

Ah, and with the compliments out of the way, Mark sensed the insults coming.

“I’m scheduled to have my introduction soon,” Mark defended. “When that happens, in the eyes of all vampires, I’ll be an adult. And that means I’m competent enough. It’s not up for personal opinion, no matter how badly it wants to be given.”

Siwon chuckled wordlessly.

“I’m not exactly going into this blindly either,” Mark couldn’t help throwing in. “I have my cousin helping me, my uncle, and plenty of people with experience being leaders and worthy representatives. Like I said, and I will repeat myself if you need me to, I’m admittedly young. I don’t know a lot, and I have a long way to go. But no one should underestimate me. No one knows me. No one knows what I’m capable of. Underestimating me would be … disadvantageous.”

They drank their tea in silence for several more minutes, then Siwon asked, “What were you dreaming of when you went on your adventure?”

Mark arched an eyebrow. “Is that what you want to call it?”

Siwon shrugged. “It was quite that, from what I hear. You wandered all over campus and ended up in the lake. Call it what you will.”

Mark was fully under the impression that he didn’t have to tell Siwon anything. And why did he want to know in the first place? But the truth of the matter was that Mark didn’t want to be the kind of vampire who spoke in riddles and euphemism. He want to be known as true and honest and trustworthy. He wanted to be more than what his enemies would be.

Bluntly, Mark finished his own tea and said, “My family. I was sleepwalking in a dream about them. That’s not an unexpected answer, right?”

Just as shortly, Siwon said back, “I knew Grace.”

“Of course you would have,” Mark replied with a nod. Many heirs were known for congregating together several times a year. Some heirs were friends. Some were merely cordial. And others were desperate to be the with the ones they loved--with the ones they were forbidden from.

There were many things forbidden in vampire society, many things Mark found severe and unfair. But of them all was the code concerning heirs. Heirs were absolutely not allowed to be matched to each other, if only to prevent a power vacuum of any sort occurring. And that, no matter how unfair it was, made sense to Mark. Maybe that was part of the reason for matches at such a young age. Children didn’t love each other, not like older heirs did, and matches were easier to accept when there were years before the actual marriage.

“We were not friends.”

For the second time Mark laughed. “You and Grace didn’t get along?” He could read that much on Siwon’s face. “I’m actually not surprised. She was very headstrong. She was opinionated, too. She was prim and proper when she had to be, but she was so very certain in what she felt, what she did, and who she got along with. Plenty of people clashed with her.”

Siwon waved off a hand. “It had nothing to do with her personally. In fact, nothing was her fault at all. If anything, I should blame your parents.”

Mark reeled back a little. “What?”

For a minute it looked as if Siwon would tell him what he meant. But then he was once more brushing the subject to the side. “Never mind. None of it matters anymore. Everything is in chaos. Grace is dead, so are others. Our council is the weakest it has ever been, and the noble, previously strong fourth family is in the hands of a child.”

Mark was starting to regret offering tea. “But is that good a thing for you? Does that put your family in a good position?”

“That puts no one in a good position,” Siwon snorted out, setting his cup on its saucer. “If any one bloodline weakens, they all do. Weakened bloodlines create a weak and ineffective council. And without our council, our species falls. That is what concerns me, Prince Mark of the fourth family.”

Mind whirling, Mark was still trying to work out Siwon. Was Siwon implying that he was visiting Mark for some kind of betterment of all vampires? Please. Mark hardly believed that Siwon wasn’t playing a mind game of some kind. 

Mark wasn’t willing to play any games.

“I didn’t expect to ever inherit this position,” he said quickly. “That’s where we differ the most. I was born third in my family. I was … an afterthought in the terms of heirs. Do you know what I expected? I expected that Grace would grow into the position she’d been born to inherit. And me? I’d go to college. I’d get to do whatever I wanted. So I didn’t grow up studying vampire history intensely. I wasn’t trained to be politically savvy. I don’t currently have the tools I need to be even a fourth of the heir that Grace was. And I’m not like you, who I suspect was like Grace in that you were born for what you’ve now achieved. But that’s where our differences end.”

“Oh?” Siwon prompted.

“Yes.” Mark gave a strong nod. “Because I think that you’re playing games with me. I think that you’re the head of your family and you have better things to do than hang around Hawthorne going to classes that you don’t really benefit anything from. I think you’re looking to see if I’m weak. I think you’re interested in how weak I’ve made the fourth family. And maybe you’ll report back to someone, or maybe you won’t. And it’s very possible that you’re the type of vampire I’ll have to deal with for the rest of my life now that I’m about to join the council as the head of my family. But inside? With all that bullshit aside, we’re both the same.”

Siwon settled back against the sofa fully and waited silently.

“We’re both determined to do right by the people who were murdered,” Mark said, guessing that Siwon’s father meant more to him than he’d ever say. “I think we both will uphold vampire tradition, place the honor of our families as a top priority, and neither of us will be willing to sacrifice the future of the people we care about because of anyone else’s actions. You think I’m weak, well, I think you’re weak too.”

Chest heaving, Mark clenched his fingers into fists, heartbeat peaking again as Siwon’s face was etched in mild irritation.

“You think I’m weak?”

“I do,” Mark shot at him. “There’s a chance you’ll prove me wrong. There’s a chance you’ll act nobility and in the best interest of everyone--not just your own family. And if that’s the case, then I’ll be gladly wrong. But I think you’re weak because you’re practically blind. You can only see what you’ve been taught to see. You can only do the things that you think you know how to do. You’re in a rut. You’re stuck in the mud. But me? I’m going to have to improvise, and learn on the go, and make do with what I have. I’ll be more intuitive than you, more creative, more durable, and definitely more open to solutions to problems that you can barely see the cause of. You think I’m weak because I wasn’t raised like you were. Ironically enough, in my opinion, that’s what makes you the weak one.”

The more he’d thought of his position, the more reassured he was in his opinion. He was at a major disadvantage, and he was going to have to work twice as hard as the other heirs and heads of families who’d been raised knowing what position they would ultimately inherit. But perseverance in the face of adversity could only make him stronger.

Mark continued in a softer voice, “But maybe you’re also hoping that I know instinctively how to make the right choices, and how to not place people in danger because of my inexperience or age. Maybe you’ve got hope for me, and you’re still at Hawthorne to feel that out, and make yourself feel better when you put some trust and faith in me. It’s a possibility I’ve been thinking about.”

Then there was silence once more.

Even more of it followed as Siwon stood and made his way to Mark’s door.

“I don’t want to play games with you,” Mark called after him. “How about you don’t play them with me?”

At the door, hand on the handle, Siwon turned back to Mark and remarked, “I think I like you better than I liked Grace. Then again, you haven’t stolen from me what she did.”

Mark frowned. “Okay.”

“And,” Siwon asked, pulling open the door to a surprised Henry, “I do think you’re weak. I think you’re too young, ill equipped to handle a fraction what is coming towards you at breakneck speed, and above all else, naïve in the worst sense of the word.”

“Hey!” Henry shouted, barreling past him into the room. 

“But,” Siwon said with a grand smile on his face, “like you, so I hope I’m wrong about what I’m think. Goodbye, Mark. I’m certain we’ll see each other soon enough.”

When Siwon was clear of the doorway, Henry slammed it behind him and demanded, “What was Siwon doing here?”

Mark felt more than a little lost. “Having tea.”

Henry crossed his arms. “Very funny.”

Mark slouched back, trying not to aggravate his skin. “I don’t know, Henry. He came here to … check up on me, I guess. To see if I was as bad off as people around school are saying I am.”

Henry glared back at the door. “No doubt hoping to see you incapacitated in some way. Mark, he’s not to be trusted. Next time, don’t invite him in for tea.” Mark made to say something, but Henry cut back in, “I know you asked him in for tea politely, because you, my cousin, are too nice for your own good. Nothing good comes from people like Siwon. Nothing good comes from the crafty ones.”

“I don’t know,” Mark said, accepting a bag filled with schoolwork from Henry. “I think Siwon and I came to some kind of agreement just now. I don’t think he’s messing with me, at least. I hope. He said some pretty insulting things, but I also guess from his perspective, he isn’t wrong in thinking what he does about me.”

“You don’t deserve anything he had to say about you,” Henry insisted. “I’m sure he called you something like a bumbling idiot.”

Henry wasn’t exactly that far off.

“Isn’t that what all the other families are thinking about me?” Mark asked, leaning forward. “They don’t know anything about me, other than that I’m young, inexperienced, and probably susceptible to being manipulated. They don’t know me like you do Henry. They don’t know how serious I’m going to take this. They don’t know the lengths I’m willing to go to keep this family strong and proud. They don’t have a clue about the kind of head of family I’m going to be. But they will. They’ll know, because I’ll show them.”

Henry’s face fell blank, and then his eyes were scrunching up a bit, like he was near tears. “Mark.”

Mark panicked. “What? What did I say?”

Henry shook his head and smiled more gently. “You have no idea how extraordinary you are, Mark. You’re really something special.”

At the praise, Mark looked away from his beaming cousin. He pushed at his bangs and said with a sigh, “Siwon really wasn’t that terrible, you know. I think I detected just a bit of care and concern with my sleepwalking. For as incompetent as Siwon thinks I am, he doesn’t want me dead, I’m certain. Of course he’s also nosey, wanting to know what I was dreaming about.”

When Mark looked back to Henry he was paler than normal.

“What is it?” Mark asked, feeling a sense of dread suddenly. “Henry, what is it?”

“I …” Henry’s eyes widened as he said, “You know each vampire has a gift, right? A power of some sort. And it comes in after your introduction and is completely unpredictable.”

Mark nodded slowly. “Yours is the ability to compel people to sleep.” He still remembered the unnatural push to unconsciousness on the night his house has burned. It was one of the few things he remembered from the night. “Amber has amplified intuition. Grace could be unnaturally convincing.”

With a wince, Henry said, “And … damnit, I’d forgotten. Siwon can tamper with dreams.”

Air caught in Mark’s chest. “What?”

“Mark,” Henry said quickly, “you have to understand, these gifts are often just as fiercely protected as the secrets that vampires have. They’re often not made public knowledge for a reason. But sometimes they slip out, and I know for a fact that Siwon has not only the ability to push people into dreams, but manipulate them once they get there.”

There was a sudden chill in the room as Mark guessed, “You think my sleepwalking is something Siwon did? You think he’s responsible?” Siwon had … almost gotten him killed?

“I’m going to bring the council down on him so fast!” Henry shouted, getting to his feet. “He thinks he’s protected just because he’s the head of his family now, but he’s wrong. To have gone after you like this! I’ll--”

“Henry,” Mark said, then more forcefully, “Henry!”

His cousin looked absolutely livid. Part of Mark probably should have been thrilled by the protective nature of Henry, but part of it also felt stifling. Especially because Mark was quickly learning nothing was ever what it appeared to be.

“Siwon doesn’t want me dead,” Mark said confidently, hedging a good deal on what he was saying to Henry. “He knows that if anything happened to me, the fourth family would be an even bigger mess than it is right now. He knows that you’re almost always with me, and there’s no way he’s missed Zhou Mi becoming my own personal shadow as of late. If he really did this to me, if he got me sleepwalking, he’d have known that one or both of you would be there to keep me from frying in the sun completely.”

Henry thundered back, “But we didn’t! Not completely.” Henry’s head hung with shame. “We didn’t get to you, or even know something was wrong, until so much time had passed. Maybe Siwon assumed, but to take such a chance with you. It’s irreprehensible. It can’t be defended.”

“Siwon said something to me while he was here,” Mark told Henry.

“Mark.”

Mark said with an encouraging look, “That if one family is weak, they all are. We need each other to be strong essentially. Siwon needs the fourth family to be strong so that his own can remain that way. Henry, even our family’s adversaries need us strong, because their strength relies on the mutual beneficial relationship that all the families share. I think, if this was even Siwon at all, that this was his way of testing me. He stuck around all this time to make sure I’m strong enough--to make sure I wouldn’t make him or the people he cares most about, weak.”

“And he thinks you are?” Henry asked in disbelief.

Mark chuckled out, “No, I’m pretty sure he’s even more confident now that I’m the weakling he thought I was. You caught him saying as much when you arrived.”

“Then why do you look so happy?” Henry asked in a confused voice.

Mark stood and began to gather up the pieces of the tea set. He set a saucer and cup on the tray and told Henry, “Because honestly, I think he’s pulling for me. He’s a weird one, that’s for sure, but he wants to be wrong about me. He wants me to be stronger than I look, and I’m going to be.”

Henry didn’t look placated. “I still think I should go to the council. This should be brought before them. Mark, we can’t take chances with you, especially only to satisfy the curiosity and questions of some self serving asshole like Siwon.”

“Don’t,” Mark said as he took the tray to the kitchen. He hoped it sounded like an order without making things awkward between them. “I think Siwon sort of likes me. At least more than he likes Grace, apparently.”

Henry followed after him. “Well, you’re not exactly responsible for getting his heart ripped out and stepped on. That was all Grace.” Henry paused then, expression dropping. “Sorry, Mark. I don’t mean to speak ill of the dead. Especially Grace. You know I loved her.”

“But what does that mean?” Mark asked. He’d thought for a second that Siwon loved Grace, but he’d been more than willing to say otherwise. “What went on with Grace and Siwon?”

Henry winced. “Not Grace and Siwon.”

“What--”

“Mark,” Henry warned. “Please. This isn’t … frankly, this isn’t any of your business. We shouldn’t talk about it. Obviously it doesn’t matter anymore. And it’s not important.” Henry tried to give him a supportive smile. “Look, I won’t go to the council about this. But keep your distance from Siwon from now on. Don’t have tea with him, okay? He may not seem like he’s out to get you, though contrary evidence supports me more than you, but he’s most certainly not your friend. Heads of families can’t afford to be friends, Mark. You can never forget that. You can have respect for Siwon, no matter how much of an asshole he is, but you can’t be his friend.”

Mark rolled his eyes. “I don’t believe that for a second.” It wasn’t as if he planned to marry Siwon, no matter how attractive he was. “And nothing you say will make me feel otherwise. Sorry, Henry.”

Henry collapsed dramatically at Mark’s small kitchen table and laid his head in his hands. “You’re so much work, Mark. You weren’t this much work when you were just my cute little cousin.”

“I wasn’t the head of this family then,” Mark returned easily. He wasn’t even close to the person he’d been a mere few months ago. Neither would he ever be that person again. He couldn’t afford to be anything less than what was needed, and despite the reservations others had about him, he’d prove himself to them. 

With a sigh, Henry said, “I guess you’re all grown up now.”

Mark set the dishes in the sink and looked over at Henry feeling resolute. “I am,” he said with an intensity to his words. “And everyone is going to know it. Siwon isn’t going to be the last to test me. I expect all the other families will try to feel me out. But I’m going to surprise them, Henry. I’m going to be so much more than they think I am. And I am going to keep this family going. I don’t have any other choice.”


	6. Six

The first thing Mark did, after attending classes that he desperately didn’t want to fall behind in, was hole up with Jackson in the library. Of course Mark had gone with the actual intention of working on an upcoming paper for their shared literature class, but Jackson had obviously just gone to keep him company. Or terrorize him. To Jackson, those two seemed to be the same thing. 

“You know,” Jackson said, sliding the book Mark had been looking through to the other side of the table they were at, “I don’t think I’ve ever been so glad you’re a pureblood before.”

Pencil between his teeth, Mark quirked an eyebrow. “Why?” He asked, moving the pencil to his hand and bringing the book squarely to the spot in front of him. “And don’t move the book again, okay? I need it for reference.”

Jackson rolled his eyes. “Because purebloods don’t fry so easy in the sun.” With obvious sass, Jackson pushed at the book again, commanding Mark’s attention . “If you were half and half, or even worse, you could have gone up like a match after an hour or two in the direct sun. At least since you’re still pretty young.” Jackson wasn’t exactly saying anything Mark didn’t already know, but it was something he hadn’t thought about.

“You’re right,” he allowed, then slammed the book closed on Jackson’s fingers, smirking at he pained look he received in return. “Stop messing with my book. I’m serious. I don’t’ know anything about Earnest Hemmingway and I have a paper due on his most profound contribution to modern literature in ten days. Don’t sabotage my grades because you don’t care about yours.”

Jackson gave him an exaggerated scowl and shook his finger as if it had been mortally wounded. “So violent.”

“So desperate,” Mark corrected. “I missed a couple of important days, and I’m stuck with the only schmuck who doesn’t take notes as a friend.”

Jackson leaned forward and rested his chin on his open palm. “Why do you think purebloods, even young ones, can last longer in the sun? Don’t you think it would be far more likely for purebloods to fry? That’s what fiction thinks, at least. But purebloods have a resistance to the sun that’s even stronger than their halfblood counterparts.

Don’t you think vampires mixed with human blood would do better? I mean, look at me. I’m half human. Shouldn’t I last twice as long as you? But if we were both out there, I’d still be in the hospital, and you’re here.”

“I don’t know,” Mark said, taping the icon on his laptop’s desktop to open a web browser. “It might have something to do with human genes and vampire genes being in constant competition with each other. In purebloods, you don’t have that clash. And we regenerate faster than humans do.”

Jackson gave a low grunt. “I guess. And you’re lucky. There’s that. Luckiest guy I know, probably.” There was something soft in his words, something lovely. 

It made Mark want to stutter a little as he cleared his throat and said, “I’m more glad Zhou Mi found me in time. From what I hear, he led the charge, pulled me out of the lake before I drowned, and made sure I got to the infirmary without any additional exposure to the sun. I don’t think luck had anything to do with that.”

So far he’d been avoiding Zhou Mi. Or at least for the past few days. Because how awkward was it to be constantly followed by someone who tended to act like Superman most of the time? Especially if that made Mark Lois Lane. Not to mention Zhou Mi could be more than a little intense, and once in a while, Mark needed room to breathe.

“Zhou Mi,” Jackson eased out, and the name sounded wrong coming from him. “That’s the big scary guy who all but pulled you by the ear after I took you to the dance party, right?”

“He’s a family friend,” Mark said with a shrug. “Maybe he just feels sorry for me. A lot of people feel sorry for me. Or maybe he’s indebted to the family in some way. Purebloods take debt very serious. Especially the personal kind.” Or maybe, and it was far more likely, it was just as Henry had said. Their families were friends. They had history. And it was entirely possible Zhou Mi was merely doing him a favor he couldn’t quite see just yet.

Jackson frowned. “I don’t feel sorry for you. Well, maybe that you’re stuck with that face, but--”

“Hey!” Mark laughed loudly, probably too loudly for a library, and tossed his pencil at Jackson. “I’m very handsome.”

Jackson gave a noncommittal sound. “Anyway, I am glad you didn’t burn yourself to a crisp. I’m loathe to admit it, but life without Mark can be awfully boring. Jr. actually thinks he’s funny and I don’t have anyone to shoulder that tedium with. Now you can laugh at his jokes for me.”

“Is he even a little funny?” Mark asked with a wince.

“JB thinks he is, but that’s probably just because they’re sleeping together.”

Mark blinked slowly. “They are?”

Jackson nodded. “Been together forever. Since kindergarten, practically. Now if only their families would get on board with it, god knows they’ve had enough time.”

“Their parents don’t like it?”

“Eh,” Jackson cracked out. “Jr.’s family seems to have accepted it, but that probably as a lot more to do with how progressive they are. Jr.’s a pureblood, but he’s not from some fancy council family like you are. Their family is old and distinguished, but not noble.”

Curiously, Mark asked, “But what about JB?”

Jackson made a face. “JB’s half and half. His dad is human, and his mom’s the vampire, so she’s the one who’s the problem. She comes from a pretty solid bloodline, and look, you didn’t hear it from me, but JB’s parents don’t exactly love each other. Their’s was more of a marriage of convenience … and money. JB’s dad’s family is very wealthy. So he brought that money to the marriage, and she brought a credible, prolific vampire bloodline.”

That was … rare. For the most part, humans and vampires kept to themselves, romantically speaking. Every once in a while there was a union between them, and enough of them to produce a sizable halfblood group of children. But while marriages of convenience happened all the time in vampire society, they rarely brought together humans and vampires. 

It took Mark a moment more to realize Jackson was still going, saying, “--mom is really stuck up. Like, majorly pretentious. It’s like she wants to breeze over the fact that she married a human and had half human kids. She’s on this huge arranged marriage kick, and she won’t leave JB alone about it. She wants to marry him back into high class vampire society, that’s for sure. Or at least that’s what JB thinks. I mean, she’s already done it with his older sister. JB’s older sister didn’t get to choose who she ended up with, it was an arranged marriage, and JB’s mom is doing her best for a repeat performance with him.”

With a shaky voice, Mark asked, “Is JB going to let her?”

With a flare, Jackson rolled his eyes. “Let her try. I’ve known JB and Jr. for a long time--since we were kids. Jr.’s the kind who likes to please his parents. JB is stubborn. But more than that, he knows what he wants, and he wants Jr.. JB won’t let his mother push Jr. out of his life. I’d bet money on it.”

“Oh,” Mark let slip. JB did seem the stubborn sort.

“What about you?” Jackson asked sharply, tone picking up. “You’re from the fourth family. That’s some prestige. There must be nothing but arraigned marriages.”

“You’re the one who thinks all of the council families are cesspools of incest because of arranged marriages,” Mark reminded with a serious face.

Jackson looked panicked for a second, so Mark let a smile slide onto his face. “I’m just messing with you.”

Jackson clutched at his chest and heaved in a breath, clearly dramatization the whole thing.

Slowly, as if the admission took a great deal of effort, Mark told Jackson, “My oldest sister, Grace, had been matched. She was my mom’s heir and I think she always knew she’d end up with someone that our parents thought was the best fit for her. But she was lucky. She really liked the guy. She said he was funny and nice and she liked him. To her, being married to him wasn’t a burden. It was a responsibility, and an obligation, but not so much a burden. Grace was … graceful.”

Jackson gave him an odd look and asked, “What about you?”

“A match?” Mark shook his head. “I lucked out being born third. My parents were far more concerned with arranging marriages for their heir and spare. Grace and Tammy. I got much more freedom in that department.”

“Well,” Jackson said slowly, slumping back in his chair, “I mean this as delicately as possible, calling in all friend cred that I have; you’re not third born anymore. You’re a prince. You’ll be the head of your family soon. You’re prime real estate now, and everyone here knows it. The fact that you don’t have a match? That makes you even more desirable. Give it a little more time. People will be throwing themselves at you for the right to be by your side. You’re the ultimate bachelor of all bachelors.”

Mark’s head cocked, almost of its own volition, at the ugly look on Jackson’s face. He seemed … upset? Was that what the look was? Or was it … jealousy?

There was no doubt part of Mark was absolutely thrilled at the prospect of Jackson being unhappy or jealous over Mark getting unwanted attention. It was childish, of course, but considering Mark had never met someone like Jackson before, or anyone who made him feel the way he did, Mark gave himself some extra leeway.

“Prime real estate despite being damaged goods?” Mark waved his arms around, and he knew very well how red his face was. Even burn creams couldn’t work miracles. He wouldn’t look normal for weeks more.

Jackson gave him a … leer? “Even still.”

Mark felt like banging his head against the table. Was this flirting? Was Jackson flirting or just being his usual self? 

Why were teenage boys so damn difficult to read?

“Thanks?” Mark said, feeling completely inept. 

“I’m sure whatever guy won the gauntlet to take you to the welcome back dance is going to be falling over himself to tell you how attractive the bandages make you look. Or if it’s a chick, first of all, right on, second of all, she Might even tell you that you’re better looking than her. It’ll likely be the truth, too.”

“Welcome back dance?”

Jackson snatched up Mark’s pencil and leaned back in his chair, balancing on two legs as he settled the pencil onto his nose expertly. Head tipped back, he answered, “They have it every semester here. All the high school and college kids go. Anyone who goes here, goes. It’s just an excuse for the administration to claim that they let us have a little freedom, while keeping us locked up ninety percent of the time. It’s in four days. I think the theme is fire and ice? I’m astounded by that originality.”

Why was this the first he was hearing of this dance?

And more importantly, why did Jackson think he already had a date? It was a frantically worrying idea for Jackson to have.

So why couldn’t he open his mouth and say otherwise? Why couldn’t he--

“I swear,” Jackson laughed out, the pencil falling from the tip of his nose and his chair slamming down loudly. He ignored the shushes that carried through the library. “Every semester this dance is nothing but a pain in my ass. Though it might be better this time around.” Jackson gave him another long look.

“What … um ..?” Great. Now his voice suddenly wanted to work. Sort of.

“Why’re you making that face at me?”

Speak, Mark commanded at himself. Speak and stop looking like a fish drowning on dry land. “Do you … have, um, a person? A date!” That wasn’t exactly what he’d been going for. But maybe, just maybe, this was salvageable. In a perfect world, or at least one that didn’t hate him completely, the next few minutes would the most crucial times of his life. 

When he asked out someone for the first time.

Sounding so slick he was nearly oily, Jackson replied, “Had one for months now. Jackson always has a date.”

Jackson was such an asshole.

“Hey!” Jackson popped up to his feet. “Where are you doing? Where are you going?”

And Mark? He felt like an idiot.

“Leave me alone,” Mark said, snapping at Jackson over something that wasn’t even really his fault. “Sorry,” he apologized right away, throwing his books into his bag and hugging his laptop to his chest. “I’m sorry, Jackson. I’m not … I’m just … sorry.” He had to get away. He had to leave before he said or did something stupid.

Now was clearly the time to wallow, and not to pretend like everything was okay.

“Mark?”

Mark threw over his shoulder, “I’ll see you in class!” Then he was gone, practically sprinting for the front door. Feeling like a fool.

If Henry noticed that Mark felt like every bit the teenager he was, moping around full of ennui, acting disinterested in hanging out with Amber and their other friends, he didn’t say anything. He did, however, draw the line the moment Mark started listening to Dashboard Confessional and contemplating Sulli’s black nail polish.

“I don’t know what your problem is, kid,” Henry said, cuffing him gently over the back of the head, “but stop pretending like it’s 2004 and emo is cool. It’s 2014, time to act like every other teenager out there. Be angry.”

“I’m not the angry type,” Mark said, deflating a little. 

“No,” Henry agreed. “And neither is Zhou Mi. That’s why, when he proposes that he be allowed to escort you to the welcome back dance, you’ll say yes. Because you’re a good match.”

It wasn’t the fake tone to Henry’s voice as he emulated the way that Zhou Mi often spoke, that caught Mark’s attention. It was absolutely the last sentence from his mouth.

They were a good match. 

“I don’t like Zhou Mi,” Mark said, trying to keep his voice from shaking. “Not like that. He’s a good friend. Not anything more.”

Henry’s face scrunched up. “Not even a little?”

Mark shook his head.

“Well,” Henry sighed out, “you have to go to the dance with someone befitting your status. And no, before you ask, you can’t not go. You have to represent our family. So start thinking about who it’s going to be. You only have a couple of days.”

“Okay,” Mark said, just to get Henry to leave him alone. And so he could burry his face in a pillow and pretend like he wasn’t apparently the biggest loser in the world. 

Therefore it was maybe a welcomed distraction when Mark received his first cordial invitation to tea via embroidered envelope. It wasn’t the invitation itself that was interesting. Mark might not have been his mother’s heir growing up, but he’d been to plenty of fancy dinners and luncheons because of his family’s status, and he knew what an official summons looked like.

No, the far more interesting thing was who it was from.

Because Mark had been invited to visit Kyuhyun.

A few hours later, as Henry walked Mark to the top floor of the boy’s four story dormitory building, and down a long hallway that only had only a few dors doors, Mark whispered to him, “I didn’t even know Kyuhyun went here.”

Henry replied, “It’s his last semester, and he’s not even really taking classes. He’s just … doing princely things, I guess.”

“Prince?” Mark inquired. “I know he has an older sister, and she’s his father’s heir, right?”

“Mark.”

“What?” There was something chilling about Henry’s tone.

Henry stopped them in front of the last door at the end of the hallway and said, “His sister was one of the victims of the attack on the council. He’s been elevated to the status of heir, and his father isn’t … handling his sister’s death all that well. Most of us don’t think it’ll be long before he steps down and Kyuhyun steps up. In fact, it’ll probably be before the year ends.”

“Then he’s like me,” Mark mused, looking to the door in front of him. He felt a bit ashamed he hadn’t reached out to Kyuhyun at the funeral. Or even recognized him for that matter. He should have inquired about the other deaths, and he should have realized he wasn’t the only one hurting.

“Hardly,” Henry snorted out, racking his knuckles against the sturdy wood. “Kyuhyun might not have been his father’s heir up until a few months ago, but his father raised him and his sister to be equals. They were practically interchangeable with what they knew about the council, and most of us thought Kyuhyun’s sister was planning to step away from her duties. She always seemed more interested in her music.”

The door opened and it wasn’t Kyuhyun who was standing in the doorway, making Mark question if they had the right room at all.

The man at the door, classically handsome, but with severe features, offered Mark a respectful bow, then told Henry, “You can come back for him in an hour.”

The first thing Mark noticed, following the older and taller vampire into the room, was that Kyuhyun’s personal suite was a great deal bigger than Mark’s. He wasn’t envious in the least, not knowing what to do with the space he already had, but the more curious aspect of it was how lived in it looked. The rugs were a little worn in spaces, knickknacks were placed strategically on shelves, and the sofas themselves looked like they were sat on frequently. There was love and attention to the room, and it was somewhat unexpected from Kyuhyun.

Speaking of worn in sofas, there was another boy sitting on the green sofa near the center of the room, alongside Kyuhyun who was resting in an armchair. 

Mark hadn’t expected company, other than himself, of course.

“Lord Kyuhyun,” Mark said, dipping respectfully. Or was he supposed to call him prince now? Mark was still trying to feel out who liked to be called what, and when significant titles were compliments or insults.

“Just Kyuhyun, please.” the other insisted. “We have a lot to speak about today, and titles will simply get in the way.”

“Do you want us to stay?” one of the men asked, the taller of the two, Mark judged, once the second of them was standing. 

“No, Changnin. I’ll call for you and Minho later.”

“Are you certain?” Changmin asked, cutting a look to Mark.

Kyuhyun rolled his eyes. “I hardly think there’s going to be an assassination attempt in the next sixty minutes. And certainly not from Mark. Go.”

When the two men were safely gone, the door closing solidly behind them, Mark cracked a smile and said, “Those two are kind of scary.” Even Minho, who hadn’t said anything, but glared daggers the whole time.

“We’ve been friends a long time,” Kyuhyun said. “And considering that my family home was attacked the same as yours was, there’s reason enough to believe that someone planned to end my life the same as my sister’s.”

“The humans,” Mark said with a nod, but Kyuhyun gave no sign of agreement.

“I asked you here,” Kyuhyun said, one leg crossing elegantly over the other, “because there is quite a lot we need to speak about.”

Mark rushed to get out, “I’m really sorry about not recognizing you at the funeral. And I’m really sorry I never stopped to think about the fact that you lost Grace, too.”

Kyuhyun’s wrist caught the light and Mark could plainly see that he had Grace’s match bracelet on his own wrist, overlapping the one he’d worn for over a year now. They settled easily against each other, looking natural, but Mark wondered how he could stand to wear such a reminder. 

“The council gave it to me,” Kyuhyun said, tracing Mark’s gaze. “She was my intended. But, she was also your sister. If you want it, I’ll give it to you. You must not have much of your family’s left.”

Mark shook his head. The fire had wiped almost everything out at the main house. “I think you should keep it. She was important to you, too. And I got some things, like the watch my father had been wearing, my mother’s jewels, and Grace’s pendant. You keep the bracelet.” There’d been a couple of important things from his family’s vacation homes, and trinkets left at the houses of cousins and friends. Mark had recovered each piece reverently, so he had a few things.

Kyuhyun gave him a serious nod. “I’ve tried not to dwell on the loss of her from my life. We weren’t married yet. However, Mark, the truth is I did love her. She was fond of me, but I loved her.”

Quietly, Mark said, “I’m sorry about your sister. And about how your father is having to endure such a loss.”

“Is that what your cousin told you?’ Kyuhyun asked, startling Mark. “That my father has fallen to pieces?”

“No!” Mark said, denying it quickly. The last thing he need was to turn Kyuhyun and Henry against each other, even inadvertently. 

“I detest idle gossip,” Kyugyun snapped, seeming so dangerous even just sitting across from Mark. “However, the truth, no matter how entertaining to some, is still the truth. Yes, my father is not enduring as well hoped, but it’s not something unexpected. My mother’s passing put him on the precipice of mental stability, and the loss of my sister is too much. She was everything to him.”

“I’m sorry,” Mark offered again. “Very sorry.”

“Tell me about the night of the attack, Mark,” Kyuhyun requested, steering the conversation expertly. “You were at home?”

A puzzled expression on his face, Mark nodded. “My parents said it was an emergency session to discuss something they wouldn’t tell me. Grace knew, though. And I’m going to guess it was about the vote.” That’s what Henry had said, and even his uncle. But Mark was quickly learning that playing dumb was very much to his advantage. If he could come off as unthreatening as possible, he had a feeling he’d learn more from others than if they thought he was competent.

Thought maybe not Kyuhyun, who was sharp and knowing.

“It was,” Kyuhyun confirmed. “The emergency session was to discuss the necessity of a vote, and to agree or dismiss having it. You should understand, Mark, since you’re going to have a seat on the council in a few short months, that half of the time the council spends gathered together is deciding whether or not to decide things. Does that make sense? The council had to vote on whether or not to have a vote about the treaty. It’s all very pompous and ass backwards if you ask me, but it’s how the council operates”

Mark could still picture the night so perfectly in his mind. He could remember the black suit his father had worn to compliment his mother’s dark red gown. Tammy had been on the phone for hours, and Joey had been playing his video game. Grace had looked every inch the princess she was. 

“What exactly do you want to know?” Mark asked.

“Your uncle was there?”

“Yes,” Mark eased out. “He never lived too far away from us. He and my mom were really close. They were twins. I think my dad just put up with him because it made her happy to have her brother around so much.”

Kyuhyun questioned, “But you left the property. Before the fire. Why?”

“I’m not …” Mark took a steadying breath. “I’m not really comfortable talking about the night that I lost my family.” Painful. He meant it was still excruciatingly painful. Because he still woke up sweat drenched from nightmares and guilty dreams. Henry said it was survivor’s guilt and not his fault, but sometimes Mark felt so uncomfortable being the one who’d survived. “Why are you asking me this?”

The foot of Kyuhyun’s crossed leg tapped the air for a second, then he said, “Because I am not a simpleton, and I rarely believe things happen without a reason.”

Mark leaned forward a little “My uncle thinks the humans attacked us because the treaty made us weak an susceptible to exploitation. They know if an extremist group of theirs hits us, one not sanctioned by the human government, we can’t retaliate with violence or risk breaking the treaty. They know and they’re starting to take advantage of that. Is he wrong on that account?”

“Not completely,” Kyuhyun admitted. “But there are things from that night that are disconcerting at best, and suspicious at worst. The humans are typically less coordinated, and employ a strategy of brute force more than anything else. They rarely think long term, and are often more preoccupied with quick strikes that have immediate results. Humans, as you might expect, are impatient. Therefore, I find a good deal suspect about the attack on our council and families.”

“Like what?”

Kyuhyun watched him for a minute, then asked, “Did you know where the council met?”

Mark didn’t. “Only a few vampires, other than the actual family heads and heirs knew. For safety reasons.”

“So how did the humans know where the council was planning to meet? And how did they coordinate the attack on the council with the attacks on our homes so perfectly?”

“I don’t …” Mark was at a loss. “Those humans who did it, they went to ground. That’s what my uncle says. They can’t be found, so we can’t ask them.

“And isn’t that convenient,” Kyuhyun huffed out. “At the very least, if this were believable, they would have claimed responsibility before doing so. No one makes a power move like this, something that is clearly meant to be taken as a statement, and does not make it known who did it and why. The humans who’ve transgressed against us in the past have always been transparent about their actions. Why would that have changed now?”

“I really don’t think there’s a conspiracy going on here,” Mark said, trying to calm Kyuhyun who looked to be working himself up. “The humans, the radical and dangerous ones at least, just don’t like us. They don’t need to make any claims for us to know that. They want a war, regardless of the consequences for both sides. They have been vocal about that. That’s not suspicious. And maybe they’ve merely changed their tactics. Or adapted. The humans aren’t stupid, and they do learn what works and what doesn’t very quickly.”

Kyuhyun stood slowly, then walked the distance to the large glass window on the other side of the room. “Your parents. Grace. My sister. And Siwon’s father. Why were these the casualties of the attack?”

Mark tipped his head back on the sofa and took a deep breath. “Sometimes people are just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Or,” Kyuhyun posed, “maybe it has to do with how they were expected to vote.”

“Excuse me?” Mark straightened up right away. “You think this is about the vote?”

“Possibly,” Kyuhyun said, not committing to anything. “But there are too many variables that are too suspicious to ignore. Mark, no matter what, trust no one.”

“Not even you?” Mark asked a little brazenly.

“Maybe not.”

“Why?”

“Because.” Kyuhyun pressed a hand against the glass and looked out over the spectacular view it afforded. “No matter what, whether the humans acted alone or had help in the brutal physicality of what happen, they had access to the most important and protected information possible. And more than that, they knew exactly who to target, where and why. That only means one thing.”

Mark gave a somber nod. “Someone told them.”

“Someone is working with them,” Kyuhyun said, turning a murderous gaze on Mark. “Someone that the council trusted, someone that had access to this kind of information and sold it for a price. And that price ended up getting people we love killed. I’m going to find out who did this, Mark. I’m going to find all the pieces that are out there and put them together until I see the big picture. And then I’m going to find this person, and skin them alive.”

“You …” What was he supposed to say to that?

“Trust no one,” Kyuhyun repeated, turning away from Mark. “Not your friends, not your family, and not even distinguished members of the council. No one. Because if you do, and it’s our traitor, it’ll cost you your life. Keep that in mind.”

The idea was terrifying, and it froze Mark in place.

Finally, kindly, Kyuhyun said, “I don’t mean to unnecessarily frighten you. But you’re young, Mark. You’re too trusting, too naïve. You’re not equipped to see the threats hovering around you, or the things that are meant to look like one thing, but are in fact something else completely.”

All of the sudden Mark was reminded of the words Siwon had said to him days before.

“Siwon said the same thing to me,” Mark voiced. “He had a lot to say on how young I am.”

Kyuhyun gave him a guarded look. “Siwon is … Siwon.”

Mark could see the history there so easily, and the baggage. There was a lot of baggage. And he couldn’t help prying, “How well do you know Siwon?” Siwon had always been his father’s heir, but Kyuhyun hadn’t. Maybe they hadn’t grown up knowing each other well, or maybe they had. One could never tell.

“Too well, I’m afraid,” Kyuhyun said without pause, but sounding so unlike himself Mark felt his features frown. “Siwon and I …”

“You’re friends?” Mark supplemented..

“I suppose,” Kyuhyun allowed.

Mark told him, “Henry doesn’t think vampires in our position can be friends. I beg to differ. I mean, I don’t think Siwon is my friend, but I don’t think it’s an impossibility with others.”

“Henry is wrong,” Kyuhyun said definitively. “Relationships between vampires, be they of any kind, are difficult at best. You’re beginning to understand this. And friendships do not come easily, or without a high price to be paid. But they are possible. And friendships between vampires are not betrayed easily. But Siwon is a different story, at least in regards to me. No doubt if I consider him a friend, he considers me something slightly different.”

Mark wondered why he always felt so outclassed with vampires like Kyuhyun and Siwon. They spoke differently, acted differently, and reeked of so much aristocracy it was stifling at times. It made Mark feel like a snot nosed kid in comparison. It made him feel as if he’d never get to where they were.

With a huff, Mark said, “I’d settle for him not throwing my age up in my face. He’s not that much older than I am. It’s not like he’s one of our elders.”

With a soft chuckle, Kyuhyun reassured, “I doubt he means it in a literal sense. You know very well, Mark, that years pass different for us, than they do for the humans. For him, your age is more of a reflection of the years you’ve spent knee deep in the politics of our kind. He’s worried about the stability, or lack thereof, that you’ll bring to the future.”

Mark had guessed as much. Siwon was hard to read, but the pieces were all there, scattered around like tiny parts to a cogwheel. 

“He seemed kind of sore about Grace, too, when she came up.”

At Grace’s mention, Kyuhyun went tightlipped.

“Sorry,” Mark offered right away. “Kyuhyun, I don’t mean to--”

“Siwon’s involvement with Grace has nothing to do with you, Mark.”

Mark slumped down. “Can you not talk in riddles just for once? What’s Siwon’s deal with Grace? Why does he have such … animosity towards her? Even Henry doesn’t want to talk about it. Is this how it’s going to be from now on? Will all of your collectively get together and decide what things you want to talk about, and what you want to keep from me?”

Blandly, Kyuhyun said, “ Don’t be presumptuous, Mark.”

Mark said softly, “Then just tell me. I don’t like all this awkwardness floating around. I don’t like being left out of the loop. And this is about Grace, who was my sister.”

Kyuhyun surprised Mark by shooting back, “It’s not about Grace at all, I promise you. It’s about me. And no doubt your cousin heard about this through some chain of gossip. I can’t imagine Grace dragging anyone through the mud. You know as well as I do, Mark, that Grace was far better than that.”

“You?” Mark was stumped. “What?”

“Because,” Kyuhyun said in a reminding fashion, “I loved Grace very much. My match to her was more than just a marriage of convenience, or something mutually beneficial to our respective families. I cared very deeply for her, and Siwon could never accept that because of my feelings for Grace, I could never return those that he felt for me.”

Mark’s eyes widened. “Oh. Oh. Wow.”

In the most careless fashion Mark had ever seen from Kyuhyun, he said, “Siwon has felt more for me than simple affection for many years now. He didn’t attempt to hide his feelings from me, either. He hoped that I’d feel the same away about him with time, and that there was a possibility we might be matched.”

“Was there?” Mark asked, feeling a bit like he was gossiping, but enjoying it greatly. The idea of Siwon having unrequited feelings for Kyuhyun made them all seem a little less perfect. 

“My father considered it,” Kyuhyun allowed. “Siwon is exceptionally well situated, and in terms of desirable bachelors, he’s at the very top of the list. But my father and your mother were very close. They grew up together. They most certainly were friends. They had wanted to tie our families together through marriage for a long time. So Siwon was considered, but Grace was chosen.”

“And you don’t have feelings for him at all?”

“I have plenty of feelings for him,” Kyuhyun said honestly. “But none of them are romantic.”

Mark didn’t dare say it, but he beginning to think that maybe Siwon had stayed at Hawthorne for Kyuhyun, and not so much for Mark. 

“Doesn’t he know heirs aren’t supposed to be together,” Mark mused, thinking of all the complications that would have brought Siwon and Kyuhyun.

Kyuhyun countered, “They’re completely forbidden under any circumstances at the time of the match. But if it had happened, Siwon and I wouldn’t have broken that rule had we been matched when we were younger. My sister was heir. I was not. Even my ascending now to the position of heir, and ultimately to the head of my house, would not have dissolved the match. The only thing that matters is if the two matched individuals are not both heirs at the time of the match, or expected to be at any time. Even vampires can’t predict what the future will bring, Mark. None of us has ever had the gift of foresight.”

It made Mark wonder what Kyuhyun’s vampire ability was. It had to be something wicked powerful, to match the unbridled power Mark saw lurking beneath the surface in Kyuhyun.

Mark all but burst out with, “Henry thinks Siwon’s the reason I was sleepwalking.”

There was a dangerous and calculating look to Kyuhyun’s eyes. “Oh, I have no doubt. But if there have been no future incidents, you can rest assured that he found whatever he was looking for. Mark, he’s not even at Hawthorne anymore. He left early yesterday night. He won’t be back. He has more pressing matters to attend to.”

Mark was relieved. It wasn’t that he’d found Siwon to be a threat, and no matter how unsettling the older vampire made him feel, he had been making headway with him. He’d looked forward to proving himself to Siwon firsthand, and letting word of mouth travel. Now he’d only see Siwon at council meetings.

“Isn’t openly attacking an heir or head of family grounds for our highest penalty?” Mark asked carefully. He meant it was grounds for being accused of treason and being executed. But it was better not to speak of such things, even in private company.

Kyuhyun cracked a smile. “Siwon never physically accosted you, and there’s very little evidence that he was even involved. We don’t take on needless witch hunts without probable cause or significant proof. Siwon is in the remarkable place of being able to influence and manipulate people in dreamlike states. That’s a hard thing to pin down. It’s even harder to prove.”

But one thing was nagging at Mark, and he had to ask, “He asked about my dream. He asked what I was seeing when I was sleepwalking. Why would he not know? If he’s the person who caused it, how could he not know what was in it?”

“Maybe he wanted to see if you’d tell him the truth.”

“Maybe,” Mark agreed. “But he seemed genuinely curious.”

Kyuhyun took a moment before saying, “Siwon’s gift is more of the ability to initiate things. He can take mere sleep and make it more. And he can push a dreamer towards something frightening to create a nightmare. But only you know what’s in your mind, Mark. Only you know the things that make you happy or scared. I believe Siwon simply set you on a path towards something, likely to test your fortitude, and he waited to see what would come of it.”

“I dreamed about my family,” Mark volunteered, eyes falling down to his hands in his lap. “They were happy--we were happy. We were on vacation, and everyone was there. It was great, at least until I almost drowned myself in real life. If Siwon was trying to scare me, that’s not the way to go about it. He just made me sad.”

“Who says he was trying to scare you?” Kyuhyun asked. “You assume that everyone is against you because your cousin says this is so. But what if Siwon was trying to do more than just frighten you into running away? I can tell you personally that Siwon isn’t one for intimidation or underhanded tactics. He’s very blunt, very upfront, and he doesn’t target those incapable of defending themselves.”

“Who says he wasn’t gunning for me because of some grudge he felt against Grace?”

“And who,” Kyuhyun said right back, “says he wasn’t trying to help you out of respect for her?”

“Help,” Mark scoffed. “By bringing up my dead family.”

Kyuhyun shrugged. “By presenting you with a situation that would force you to confront the very thing which sit’s the most heavily upon your shoulders. Your guilt over their deaths, the kind I see in your eyes every time I look at you, drags you down daily. It’s slowly suffocating you Mark. You can’t be a productive, capable head of your family, if your survivor’s guilt dictates each and every action you take. Siwon, you, and I, are in roughly the same situation. Siwon, is many things , Mark, but a villain is not one of them.”

Mark chortled, “Next you’ll be telling me to trust him.”

Kyuhyun’s eyes softened. “I won’t go back on my word telling you not to trust anyone. But of the few people I care for still left in this world, I would trust Siwon to watch my back. I might even trust him to watch yours. He wouldn’t have paid you any attention if he didn’t think you were worth it.”

Mark felt frustrated. “I swear, some days I understand less and less of what’s going on around me.”

“Not yet,” Kyuhyun said. “But as Siwon said, you’re very young still.”

It finally felt as if the conversation was going nowhere, which to Mark, meant that it was time for him to go. 

“I should get going,” he said, trying to sound as if he wasn’t ready to run for the door. 

“I’ve kept you long enough,” Kyuhyun said, nodding for Mark to go. “But don’t forget about the things we’ve spoken of. And do not let your guard down. We’re living in the most dangerous of times, Mark. Before this, our enemies were easy to identify, and easier to deal with. Now they’re shrouded in the shadows, and their moves are faster than the ones we make to combat them. I would hate to lose you, because of one of those threats.”

Mark repeated Kyuhyun’s earlier words. “Trust no one.”

“For the time being,” Kyuhyun expanded. “Until you’ve secured your position, until we better understand what happened at that meeting, and until all of the players on this chessboard are revealed, trust only yourself and your instincts.”

“I’m not going to get killed because I was dumb and trusted the wrong person,” Mark said, feeling defensive now, as if Kyuhyun thought he was completely incapable of using his brain. “I won’t leave the fourth family in shambles. I won’t do that to my mother’s legacy.”

“Good,” Kyuhyun nodded. “Because you’re the future of our society, Mark. The way you think, the way you feel, the things you do, that is the future. I don’t want to see a bright future like that squandered, if only because your most trusted friend stabbed you in the back.”

Mark forced himself not to reply. There was nothing he could say to that.

“Go rest, Mark,” Kyuhyun urged. “Go to your studies, your friends and your life. But do not, under any circumstances, become complacent. Our council did, Mark, and look where it landed them. Your death would be more than unfortunate. It would be a loss I shudder to think your bloodline might not recover from. Or our species, for that matter.”

And, like Siwon had said, all the bloodlines and all the families were tied to each other. The collapse of one had somber implications for the rest. The worst part, the very worst realization to Mark, was that someone out there knew that. Someone out there knew exactly what they were doing, targeting bloodlines and heirs--sometimes whole families. Someone was purposefully trying to end them all. Someone was a blood traitor. 

“You stay safe too,” Mark called out to Kyuhyun as he trekked to the door. “I don’t think we can afford to lose each other. And frankly, I don’t want to.” Especially since Kyuhyun not only was a last link to Grace, but also seemed to be the only one telling him anything at all.

Kyuhyun gave him a hint of a smile. “You’re more like Grace than I realized.”

Mark wasn’t sure what to think of that, but there was a curl of warmth in his chest at the words. “Thanks,” he mumbled, then he was gone.


	7. Seven

Completely at a loss over his conversation with Kyuhyun, but too terrified to tell Henry anything that was said, Mark instead threw himself into his studies. He wrote his literature paper, studied diligently for his upcoming math examination, and spent most of his time sequestered away in his dorm or the library, most definitely avoiding Jackson.

Well, avoiding everyone, not just Jackson, but Jackson especially. Because Mark was absolutely certain that the next time he saw the teen, he was either going to burst into tears over the injustice of life, or angrily accuse him of not waiting to choose a dance date. Neither was illogical, so he avoided Jackson.

Avoiding the other boys who were starting to become his friends, turned out to be even more difficult however. Jackson was mostly likely to hang around and bother Mark, but the others usually wanted to study with him, or do productive things. And there was absolutely no getting around the study session he’d promised JB. They had a chemistry test in only a couple of days, and no matter reluctant he was about it, Mark still met him in his dorm for the cram session.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather go to the library?” Mark asked, almost relieved to find that JB’s dorm room was almost identical to his own, with a small kitchen, bathroom, living space and bedroom. With only one notable exception. JB clearly had a roommate. “In case we’re interrupted?”

“Nah,” JB said, bringing Mark over to the small table he had his books sprawled out on. “I share this room with Youngjae, and he’s always out on dates. Tonight is no exception. I think he’s got two or three lined up. With that many girls to juggle at once, he’ll be out the whole night.”

Eyes bulging, Mark demanded, “At the same time?”

JB shrugged. “He’s a charming pureblood, Mark. He’s good looking, and comes from a pretty decent family. He’s been juggling multiple girls for ages now. I guess some girls don’t mind sharing. It’s not like Youngjae lies to them.”

It still sounded deceitful and uncouth to Mark, but he let his judgment slide to the side, considering he was lusting after someone who was apparently taken. The best thing to do seemed to be to focus on what a diverse group of friends Jackson seemed to have. Jr. and Youngjae were purebloods. Mark had seen BamBam’s green tie, which meant he had extremely diluted vampire blood. And everyone else was half and half. Yet they all got along, were quick to defend and protect each other, and seemed to think the quality of vampire blood within each of them meant very little.

It was actually a lot humbling to think about, and Mark was awed in the best way.

“Can we get started now?” JB asked, a nervous edge to this voice. “I really don’t understand any of this, and if I fail this test, I’ll never hear the end of it. You think it’s scary when your uncle comes down here? You haven’t seen anything if my mom decides to pay me a visit.”

Mark gave an easy chuckle and nodded. “Let’s get started.”

It took Mark half an hour just to figure out how much help JB needed, particularly with the more mathematically side of chemistry. And it took forty-five Minutes further to get him started on balancing some simple chemical equations. It was slow going for sure, but Mark was patient and JB was focused, so there wasn’t much to do but work.

His pencil scribbling across the paper, JB remarked, “Jr. always makes this look so much easier than it really is.”

“Then why aren’t you studying with him?” Mark asked, flipping through the rest of the current chapter in their chemistry book. 

JB had the decency to look a little bashful. “Because when he comes over to help me study, we always end up making out. Sometimes on Youngjae’s bed. One time it went a little further than kissing, Youngjae came back early, and there was a fight of epic proportion. Very traumatic for all parties involved. A new bed needed to be purchased. The headmaster was not pleased.”

Mark shook his head slowly. “Incredible.” He tried to hide a smile.

“No,” JB pondered out loud, still focused on the equation in front of him, “what’s incredible is you managing to avoid Jackson so spectacularly. Look, Mark, I know he does a lot of stuff that’s annoying, but you’re kind of hurting his feelings. It’d be different if he knew what pissed you off, but he’s just wandering around like a lost little puppy at the moment, convinced we know and just aren’t telling him.”

“Huh?” Mark’s eyes cut frantically over to JB’s. “He’s sad?”

“Says you won’t talk to him,” JB continued, “won’t spend time with him, and you even seem to be going out of your way to avoid running into him. Jackson knows he did something, he just doesn’t know what. And I’m tired of hearing him whine about it. So clue me in, so I can tell him what to grovel about.”

“No, no,” Mark said, pushing the chemistry book away. “It’s not something he did. It’s not his fault at all.”

“He sure thinks so.”

Mark sighed, feeling like he’d made a complete mess of everything. “It’s my fault, JB. Not Jackson’s.”

“Did you miss the part of this conversation when I said Jackson does things all the time that are annoying?” JB questioned. “He has absolutely no self control, has to be the center of attention, and is pretty much more infatuated with you than I can hardly believe is possible. You’re cute, Mark, so I got why he was attracted to you from the start, but you’ve held his attention, which is something completely unheard of, so if this isn’t about Jackson coming on in an overbearing way, what is it?”

Mark was … pretty sure his brain was about to leak out from between his ears.

“Jackson … likes me?”

JB gave him a narrowed gaze like he was seriously considering that Mark might not be as smart as first assumed. “He follows you around. He always wants to sit next to you and talk to you. Mark, he went to the library for you. He’d been at Hawthorne Academy for six semesters now, and the only other time he ended up in the library is because he was lost and wandered in there accidentally. Jr. and I are convinced he’s allergic to the place. But he went in after you without a care in the world. Yes. He likes you. How could you not tell?”

“But … he …” Mark wasn’t sure he was breathing.

“Mark?”

“He likes me?” Mark had to ask again. “Likes … as in …”

“Wants to kiss your face?”

Mark dragged in a rough breath. “Are you sure?”

Slowly JB put his pencil down and said, “Are you being serious? Mark, he looks at you in a decidedly less than chaste way. He never shuts up about you. He gets jealous every time you pay attention to someone else. Are you seriously sitting here telling me that you are not aware how he wants to jump your bones?”

Mark felt like he’d swallowed his tongue, or his mouth was full of cotton as he tried to say, “I wanted to ask him to the dance. I wanted him to be my date. But he said he already had one. He said …”

“He’s going with Yugyeom.”

Yugyeom. The fifteen year old kid who was constantly looking for support and praise, and who didn’t look like he was ready to be anything but his mommy’s baby, and certainly not someone’s dance date. 

“Yugyeom?”

“Yes,” JB sighed out. “Yugyeom, who, by the way, only asked Jackson to be his date because he was absolutely terrified of being the only one on campus without someone to go with. Yugyeom and Jackson knew each other before the academy, and they’re really good friends. But just friends, okay? And they’re just going to the dance, not getting married or matched or whatever. So stop freaking out. I can see it on your face. This is what you’ve been freaked out about. Probably what you’ve been avoiding Jackson over.”

“Oh. Yeah.” Mark scrubbed is fingers over his eyes. “I feel like an idiot.”

Then, in a curious voice, JB asked, “You like Jackson back?”

Mark only gave a soundless nod.

“Why?”

“Hey,” Mark chided quietly.

“No, really,” JB insisted. “Because he’s loud and annoying, and before you came along we were all betting on him being a bachelor for the rest of his life. A lonely bachelor at that. Who in their right mind would want to date Jackson? It’d be like dating Willy Wonka.”

His spirits lifted, Mark found himself grinning wide and replying, “He makes me laugh, JB. I’m not saying he isn’t annoying, but he’s funny, too. And why does anyone like anyone? Because they find a person who makes them happy. I didn’t think I could be happy again after my family died. But Jackson, he makes me forget about them. Or maybe just the pain I have when I think about them.”

“That’s enough? He makes you smile and laugh?”

“To me that’s enough. For right now, at least.”

The truth was, he could see something a lot deeper lurking below the surface with Jackson. It was an obvious ruse, the way he used his humor and sharp wit to deflect things that made him uncomfortable or sad, and something about that intrigued Mark. He wanted to know why. And more than that, he wanted to know what was worth hiding. 

Of course they were also teenagers, which meant that three months from now they could be mortal enemies or interested in other people.

But for now …

“Wait,” JB said, reaching across the table to nudge Mark with his pencil. “Part of the reason Jackson didn’t make a move on you before this is because of that scary pureblood who’s always following you around. The black on black?”

Mark knew he was talking about right away. “You mean Zhou Mi.”

“I don’t know what his name is,” JB returned haughtily. “I just know when he glares at people, sometimes they spontaneously combust. Or something equally as excruciating. He’s scary as hell, Mark. To anyone but you, that is.”

“He’s …” Mark tried to find the right words. “A friend of the fanily. Henry says so. Henry says our two families have been twined together for a while, and we’re completely loyal to each other. So I believe Henry when he says Zhou Mi is a family friend. And Zhou Mi has never been anything but nice to me. In fact, he’s done more for me than I could have ever imagined. I really value his friendship.”

“But you’re not …”

“He’s a friend,” Mark repeated. “I want Jackson to be more than a friend.”

For the first time, JB looked away, and back to his paper. He made a few scribbles, erased something, then rewrote and said, “Then you should think about getting the pureblood to back off. He crowds you and follows you and he gives off the impression to everyone else that you’re clearly off the market. It’s enough to confuse someone like Jackson.”

The suggestion made Mark think of how Jackson had called him prime real estate. 

And in a way, one he’d never considered before, he guessed he was. There weren’t many left in his bloodline now. His family hadn’t been expanding rapidly the way other bloodlines had, and it was wearing thin. There were a lot of first, second and third cousins, great aunts, uncles twice removed, and even more distant relatives. But immediate family? Mark and the fourth family didn’t have much in the way of that. It all meant Mark’s blood was even more desirable than ever before. It was simple supply and demand rooted in his rarity.

He was also about to become the new head of his family once he was introduced in a few months. That made him … available and desirable. 

Not that Mark wanted to think about having a match or getting married or having kids or anything just yet. Not for a while. A long while. It was risky to leave his bloodline without a direct heir. And he probably should have been rushing towards marriage and fatherhood. But neither were anything he wanted right away, and he could still be selfish about some things.

“The dance is how many days away now?” Mark asked, trying to think. It was Wednesday and the dance was Saturday. “Three?”

“Yep. Is this right?” JB turned his paper towards Mark. “Please tell me it’s right.”

Mark picked up his pen and scanned the paper, making only one slight correction. “Close enough. And your final answer was still correct. Now, what do you think I should do?”

“About Jackson?” JB asked, clearly proud he’d balanced the equation all by himself. “Please don’t be asking me to help you get the hookup with Jackson. I want to have dinner later on.”

“I meant about Zhou Mi, and people thinking there’s something between us.”

“Give me the next equation,” JB requested with grabby hands. 

“Focus,” Mark requested, copying the next one down for him. 

“Make a statement,” JB said, pencil already flying across the paper. “Show people that you’re not with Zhou Mi, and make sure Jackson gets the memo. He’s kind of slow, so you’ll have to be obvious.”

“Make a statement,” Mark mused “A statement.”

It wasn’t a bad idea, and Mark, feeling all kinds of confident, had just the plan.

Twenty-four hours later he was quickly realizing that his confidence had faded and Amber wasn’t helping things. He really wished she’d stop laughing.

“Two days before?” she demanded between giggles. “You wane me to find you an acceptable date two days before the welcome back dance?”

Arms crossed over his chest, Mark said, “I didn’t say acceptable. I said nice. Someone nice.” God knew he’d have to talk to his date for at least half the night. He couldn’t possibly bring someone who was decidedly lacking in personality or kindness.

“I said acceptable because that’s what you should have told me,” Amber corrected.

“Why?”

It was after classes had finished for the night that he was making this request of her, and she’d already changed out of her school uniform’s mandatory skirt to a pair of shorts that still flattered her legs. Her blouse was gone as well, and an ordinary tee shirt was in its place. Her clothing didn’t exactly fit the school’s dress code, but Mark had long since noticed that the girls got away with far more than the boys did. 

Amber gave him a pointed stare. “Because you’re crazy if you think Henry will let you go to a social event with someone not of your caliber. And you’d better believe he’ll put his foot down on this issue and won’t budge it for a second. Don’t fight him on this, Mark. You won’t win.”

Her words made Mark think of what kind of reaction Henry would have had if he’d gone with Jackson.

“Fine,” Mark ground out. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I still need a date. And you know everyone here, Amber. I need you to help me.”

She steered him towards the art department’s building and asked, “Why don’t you just go with Zhou Mi? Henry told me he wants to ask you.”

Mark choked. “Excuse me?”

Amber continued, “Who doesn’t want to ask you, Mark? Stop living like a fish in a bowl. My point is, you and Zhou Mi are friends, and you get along great. He wants to ask you. But he also wants to give you a choice. I think he’s picked up on the fact that you don’t get to choose a lot in your life right now, which is something that a lot of people don’t consider. But you’re cutting it down to the line, and he’s the obvious choice here. He’s a gentleman, a pureblood, and your families are very close. Henry would approve.”

“Henry would start dancing,” Mark snorted. “Zhou Mi probably just wants to ask me out of duty or loyalty or whatever.”

Amber burst out laughing. “I very much doubt that’s the reason he wants to ask you.”

“Amber.” Mark gathered up his patience. “Can you help me or not? Are you or are you not the woman to see about getting a date?”

Amber hooked an arm around Mark casually and said, “For anyone else, this would be an impossible request two days before the dance. But for you, Mark Tuan, it’s doable. And I have just the girl in mind.”

“Girl? Who?”

“You wanted a boy?” Amber snapped.

“It’s fine!” Mark tried to relish in his relief. “I’m just surprised you know a girl who’s still available. Who is she?”

“She’s a student here,” Amber explained. “She’s just been traveling late into the year with her parents. She’ll start attending classes on Monday, but she’s still a student, and there’s no reason why she can’t come to the dance. She’s just hanging around town right now, trying to avoid the academy as much as possible. I’ll give her a call.”

“She’ll want to go with me?” Mark asked, waving at a group of nearby students who called his name.

“Trust me,” Amber said, “Min’s up for anything.”

Min turned out to be a perfectly acceptable date in Henry’s eyes. In fact, they’d met briefly years ago and Henry was over the moon that she was accompanying Mark to the dance. And Mark was happy as well, because Min was short but quirky, beautiful but humble, and absolutely energetic enough to ensure that they’d both have a good time. Maybe she was even out of Mark’s league a little, but she seemed more than happy enough just to have an excuse to get dressed up.

It was Zhou Mi who looked unhappy. He barely let it show, and if Mark hadn’t spent so much time around him, he probably wouldn’t have been able to pick up on it, but he was certain of it each time he looked at Zhou Mi. Zhou Mi was not happy. He actually looked irritated.

Mark didn’t know if that was hurting his cause or helping it.

“Sooo,” Min said, sliding her arm through Mark’s as they walked to the main building where the dance was being held. “What’s the real reason you wanted to take me to the dance?”

“Real reason?”

Min danced ahead, spinning a bit, making her white and red laced dress puff up like a cupcake. “Yes. Real. I’m flattered that a prince wants to take me to the dance, but the fact that you needed me to go with you proves I wasn’t who you originally wanted to take.”

Henry and Amber were ahead of them by some distance, and Mark hadn’t seen Zhou Mi since they left the dorms, so he told Min, “There was someone I wanted to take. But there was a misunderstanding. I’m hoping to straighten it all out with that person tonight. Maybe dance with them.”

Mark got a sort of thrill, thinking of the aneurism Henry might have if he danced with Jackson publicly, or even tried to hold his hand. That would certainly be making a statement to everyone. 

Min asked him very seriously, “I’m playing a supportive role this romantic comedy?”

“Ummm,” Mark eased out. 

“With no other leading ladies to compete with other than Amber?”

Mark gave a tentative nod, no sure what else to do.

“Yeah!” Min jumped off her feet, punching the air. “Awesome. Tell me everything.”

Mark gave a nervous chuckle. “I’m not quite sure I have the time for that.”

“Fine. Fine.” She waved her hands dismissively. “Just point him out to me. I’ll help you do the rest.”

Mark gave her a look. “I didn’t say it was a boy.”

Flashing a sign of victory in the most endearing way ever, Min looped their arms once more and pulled Mark ahead. “Please, I am fully aware of how short this dress is. You haven’t looked at my legs once. Either you’re a saint, or you’re not interested. Now, let’s go get this boy of yours. Please say we get to irritate a bunch of stuck up purebloods in the process.”

She was quickly becoming his next best friend.

The dance, held in the school’s largest auditorium, and was nothing like the high school dances Mark and his friends had gone stag to their freshmen and sophomore years. Those dances had been full of paper streamers, plastic balloons, cheap punch and music that had to be preapproved by the faculty. This dance was all class and sophistication, and looked to be more about people mulling around talking to each other and socializing, than dancing.

Was it something worth notable that he saw Jackson and the others the second he was in the door? They didn’t appear to see him, so Mark let Min tug him along.

More than a few people waved to him, including those clustered around Amber and Henry, so Mark returned the greeting. In a sea of white and red he was already trying to judge who he’d have to dance with, and who he could shrug off. Henry and Zhou Mi had already warned there’d be required dancing, but Henry had sworn he’d vet the candidates thoroughly, and Mark didn’t expect anything less from Zhou Mi.

Speaking of, Mark would probably have to dance with Zhou Mi too, which mean they’d probably have to talk about the awkwardness floating around them. Mark didn’t know what he was going to say, but he knew it wouldn’t be fun.

Once more Mark looked to Jackson. He’d broken the dress code just a little with his black slacks, but the deep red shirt he wore complimented him so well that Mark could help thinking it was the most handsome he’d ever looked. The formal wear made Jackson look less goofy, more mature, and absolutely desirable. 

“Is that the one?” Min asked him, not having to drop her voice in the least bit over the music around them. “The one with the arms that I’d like to drizzle chocolate on and then lick off?”

Mark gave her a scandalized look. “Min!”

Min gave a half shrug and said, “Tell me you weren’t thinking the same thing. That shirt does nothing to hide the guns he’s packing.”

Mark blushed and couldn’t help sneaking back a glance to Jackson. There were muscles clearly hidden under the shirt, but Mark had already seen them enough to know what she was talking about. Jackson had quite a bit of tone and definition from the sports he played, and if there was anything Mark was attracted to physically, it was a pair of arms like Jackson had.

Then Jackson turned, eyes sweeping the room, and they settled on Mark.

It was like some cheesy 80’s movie in Mark’s mind, time slowing down, the music fading away, and the crowd parting at just the right moment. He started at Jackson, Jackson started at him, and nothing else mattered. 

Then the moment passed and Amber was by his side, dressed in a long, beautiful white dress that made her look drop dead gorgeous, and she was tugging away.

As they wove their way through the crowd Mark was able to pick out all of Henry’s friends, the few genuine ones that Mark had made over the past few weeks in his classes, and even Kyuhyun who looked terribly out of place. Poor Kyuhyun, Mark thought, watching him be crowded in by Changmin and Minho, the two of them acting like a buffer against the world maybe, and not letting up for a second. 

Mark tried to imagine Grace and Kyuhyun coming to a dance like this together. She’d probably have made him dance, even if he was reluctant to do so, and Mark got the feeling that he’d have given into her. She was probably the only person he gave into on any regular basis. Because Grace was like that, with an infectious personality, and the inexplicable urge to get people to do things they normally wouldn’t. 

“Mark!” Henry called, waving him over. There were half a dozen people clustered around Henry, including Zhou Mi, and Mark pointedly did not meet his gaze. Instead he settled into place and forced a smile to his face. It was already looking like getting away to even say a single word to Jackson was going to be difficult..

He danced with Henry, Amber, and Min for the better part of an hour. They took turns handing him off to purebloods who either held Mark too firmly, or at such a distance that he wondered if they were scared to touch him. And then just as it looked like Zhou Mi was preparing to step in for his turn, Mark was moved awkwardly from Henry’s grip to Kyuhyun’s.

“You … um …” Mark tried to keep his composure as he and Kyuhyun swayed to a slow song. His hand was sweaty in Kyuhyun’s grip and he was beyond uncomfortable. “You know I’m not Grace, right?” He and his sister had looked somewhat alike, but he wondered if Kyuhyun could see the difference in them now.

“You think I’m so bereft in my grief that I can’t tell the different between my match and her younger brother?”

“Ah …”

“Don’t worry,” Kyuhyun said, his head bending low to Mark’s ear. “I simply wanted to invite you to tea with me again.”

Confused, Mark asked back, “Why did you have to ask me to dance in order to invite me?”

“Because,” Kyuhyun said, eyes searching the crowd relentlessly. “We’re being watched. I’m just not sure by who yet.”

“What--”

“Later,” Kyuhyun said, hushing him. Then he moved to hold Mark more securely and Mark couldn’t help feeling a bit protected. Kyuhyun’s hand was curling into a more secure position around Mark’s back and Mark found himself tipping towards him almost instinctively. For just a second it felt like he could let some of the weight fall from his shoulders, and if the way Kyuhyun was humming lightly meant anything, they were both finding peace of a sorts.

Before Mark could fully settle into a feeling of being comfortable, the dance was taking an intermission and people were breaking for refreshments. From across the floor Mark could see Zhou Mi heading straight towards him, and he figured this was the moment they had to put the line in the sand for their relationship. There was no way Zhou Mi was coming just to ask him if he was enjoying the dance. Zhou Mi was a confrontation headed straight for Mark, and Mark wanted to avoid it more than anything else. It must have showed on his face with the way Zhou Mi’s eyes widened. 

Zhou Mi looked bewildered, maybe even unsure, and it wasn’t something Mark had seen on his face before.

The reason for it was made clear a second later when strong fingers closed around Mark’s wrist. Before Mark could register the motion, with Zhou Mi still some distance away, he felt himself being whisked off the floor.

“Jackson?” Mark asked as they ducked out the back door of the auditorium, 

They broke into the cold night air and Mark was just only beginning to realize how suffocating the room had been.

“We need to talk,” Jackson said, sounding the most serious Mark had ever heard him.

“JB talked to you?”

Mark hadn’t really thought so, because the day after they’d had their conversation, Mark had gone to class with Jackson and nothing had changed. Jackson was still pawing at him like a neglected puppy, and Mark was still trying to keep his distance. It didn’t seem at all that JB had dropped any sort of information in Jackson’s lap about Mark liking him back.

“He …” Jackson, not letting go of Mark’s hand, said, “he told me to stop being such an idiot. And that there’s been a misunderstanding.”

Nervously, Mark broached, “I’ve been avoiding you. Because …. because I ….”

Jackson, before Mark could make an even bigger fool of himself, burst out with, “Yugyeom is my cousin!”

Mark’s head tilted. “He’s your cousin?”

“Well, not blood cousin.” Jackson ran his fingers through his hair. “But I’ve known him since I was a kid. We grew up together because his parents moved around a lot for their job and my parents were their friends. He stayed with us for months at a time, and the whole school year once. And I only took him to the dance as my date because it’s his first semester here and he was scared the other kids would tease him about not having a date.”

Feeling a little lightheaded, Mark said, “I only came with Min because the person I wanted to go with already had a date.”

Jackson gave him an unsure look.

This was it. Mark steadied himself. This was the moment he’d been working up to for weeks. This was his time.

“Jackson … I …” Do it, his brain screamed at him. Just do it. “I was angry these past couple days because I was jealous. I wanted to go to the dance with you. I like you.”

There. And now he could melt into the ground and go quietly into the night.

Eyes wide, Jackson pointed at his own chest. “You like me?”

“Yes.”

A giddy expression crossed Jackson’s face. “You like me.”

Mark sighed again, “Yes. For some strange, unknown reason. Others find you annoying, but I like you.”

Jackson seemed to gather himself up before Mark’s eyes, chest puffing out, chin held high. “I would have dumped Yugyeom on his ass the second I knew you wanted to go to the dance with me.”

“That’s your cousin, Jackson.”

“And you’re Mark,” Jackson cut back. “You’re … you.”

“JB said you like me.”

“JB?” Jackson shook his head and took a deliberate step towards Mark. “I like you. You don’t need JB to tell you that.”

Trying not to get frustrated, Mark said, “Well apparently I do.”

This wasn’t going at all like Mark had hoped. 

“Mark,” Jackson said, squeezing his fingers. “I like you. Let me show you how much I do.”

Mark sucked in a breath sharply as Jackson moved even closer. His heart, the beat that wouldn’t slow significantly to a nearly untraceable speed until he reached full maturity, was slamming away in his chest, anticipating what was going to happen in mere seconds.

“You could have just told me from the start,” Mark said, so thankful he’d decided to brush his teeth before the dance. “And avoided all this from the start.”

Quietly, Jackson replied, “I thought you’d pick up on the signals I was sending you.” His hand cupped the side of Mark’s face, his thumb stroking over the soft skin experimentally. His other rested carefully on Mark’s hip, as if asking for permission to be there.

“You’re a flirt and a lush,” Mark told him, holding his breath. “How was I supposed to think I was special in the way you were acting?”

Jackson’s eyes, dark and full of purpose, locked to Mark’s as his thumb stopped. “Because you are special.” Then Jackson leaned forward, Mark leaned down in the slightest, and their lips brushed. 

Mark had had exactly two real kisses before in his life, both from girls at middle school parties. But kissing Jackson? Getting what felt like his first adult kiss?

Mind blowing.

Mark kissed back immediately, head tilting, his own hands coming up to grab at the material on Jackson’s shirt. He was determined not to simply stand there like an idiot getting kissed for the first time. He wanted to be a willing participant, and as the kiss deepened, their mouths working together, Mark felt like they were on even ground.

Jackson’s hand at his jaw slid down to his neck, and then along to the back of his skull where his fingers pushed up into the hair that Henry had carefully styled for him hours earlier.

Jackson gave Mark one last, long kiss, then drew back, promising, “I like you a lot. But I didn’t want to hurt you. I can be an inconsiderate ass a lot, and I know you have a lot of patience, but I’m bound to make mistakes. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, Mark. Part of me didn’t want to risk losing that, just in case I did something to ruin these others feelings I have for you.”

With a gentle tone, Mark said, “That’s terribly considerate of you, Jackson.” He shouldered him playfully, then boldly kissed the edge of his mouth. “But for as delicate as my cousin seems to think I am, I’m actually pretty durable. And some things are worth risking, especially for something better.”

Jackson cracked a smile. “I already know you’re strong, Mark. You’re the strongest person I know.” The smile faltered. “But even the strongest person can be weighed down by the kind of stuff you’ve had to go through. I didn’t push this, what we have, because I didn’t want to add to that. I don’t ever want to be someone who hurts you, Mark. I can’t be that person.”

Mark told him seriously, “The best thing I like about you is that you make me forget they’re dead--my family. For just a few minutes, maybe hours if I’m lucky, when I’m with you, it’s like they’re still alive and I’ll get to see them again. Do you know how precious a feeling like that is?”

“And you know,” Jackson eased out, “there’s the whole halfblood and pureblood thing going on between us. You’re not a douche so I know you don’t care, but other people will. All I could think before was that if I made a play for you, I could get you hurt by the people you consider friends right now.”

“Are you kidding?” Mark could still feel his lips, a little swollen from how fierce their kisses had turned at the end, and it was the most pleasant ache in the world. “Those people I hang out with at meal time are not my friends. Those are Henry’s friends. You and JB and Youngjae and the others are my friends. And anyway, I feel stupid having to constantly say this, but I choose my own friends. I choose the people I want to be around and spend time with, and if others can’t accept that, then I don’t need them.”

Jackson caught Mark’s face in his hands again, bringing their lips together for a frustratingly passionate kiss. 

“You’re fucking amazing,” Jackson said, dragging his forehead against Mark’s. “But what about the scary guy always with you? You’re not into him?”

“Obviously I’m into you.”

“But that guy?”

“Zhou Mi,” Mark supplied. “And he’s a family friend, like I told JB. He’s not my match. He’s not a previous, present or future boyfriend. He’s just someone looking out for me with boundary issues.”

“I’m looking out for you now,” Jackson said, reeking of the kind of jealousy that Mark should not have found as attractive as he did.

Having Jackson wrap an arm around him was much different from when Henry did it loosely. Jackson was all muscle, something Mark could feel through his clothing never so strongly than before, and he reeked of strength. When he wrapped an arm around Mark, pulling them against each other, Mark felt like nothing could ever touch him again. Invincible. He felt invincible.

“You want to go back to the dance?” Mark asked. “I’ll dance with you. Piss off a whole lot of purebloods who’ll still have to act like they love me to save face. It’ll be awesome. I think Min will be our cheerleader. She seemed into the idea of irritating those prudish purebloods.”

“Nah. We both know that dance is nothing but a farce for the purebloods, and maybe an excuse for everyone else to try and feel accepted for once. It’s pointless, really.”

“You want to go for a walk instead then?”

Jackson took the lead right away, declaring, “Stop stealing all my awesome ideas. We’re going for a walk now. Try to keep up.”

They walked the property twice, fingers interlocked, talking about everything they could think of. Jackson insisted Mark already had a spot on the basketball team waiting for him, and Mark told him how much he’d rather concentrate on his studies and just play in his free time.

Jackson told Mark all about his family, about his father who was a prominent businessman and forever on the move, buying and selling properties all over the world, never making it home for holidays, and his mother who was a freelance photographer and sent pictures in lieu of birthday cards. There was a distance between Jackson and his parents, Mark could hear it in the way he spoke about them, but also love. 

“We don’t see each other a lot,” Jackson said, almost as if her were ashamed of it. “They don’t come home more than once or twice a year. Hawthorne was their solution to wanting a child, but also wanting careers. But if I call either of them, they pick up. We can talk about anything, and I appreciate that. Not a lot of kids get that with their parents.”

Mark laughed, agreeing, “Grace got along with our parents out of necessity, but Tammy didn’t even try. She was their wild child. She did what she wanted, when she wanted to. My mom said once trying to get her to talk about her day was like pulling teeth without a local.”

“She sounds awesome.”

“She was.” Mark paused, jerking Jackson to a stop with their locked hands. “Wow.”

“What?” Jackson asked worriedly.

“It’s nothing bad,” Mark said, feeling so happy he could cry. “It’s just, this is the first time I’ve been able to think about my sisters, or anyone in my family, and not be sad. I thought of Tammy just now and was happy. The happiness was more than the sadness.”

Seriously, Jackson asked, “Were you not under the impression that I’m awesome?”

Mark rolled his eyes. “It’s getting late. Are you going to act like a proper boyfriend and walk me back to my dorm or not?”

“You do realize we live in the same building?” Jackson gave him almost gleeful look. “Boyfriend?”

Of course they did. All the boys slept in the same building. But it was a huge and expansive building that was clearly segregated by bloodline, and the only time Mark had seen any other part of the building was when he’d gone to study with JB in his room, and the other instance when he’d visited Kyuhyun. 

“And that’s what we are,” Mark said pointedly, giving no room for disagreement. “I’m your boyfriend now. You like me, I like you, and our misunderstanding is cleared up. You’re my boyfriend, so don’t go flirting with anyone else.” He’d be damned if he lost Jackson now, after just getting him.

“You’re super hot when you’re all possessive like that.”

Mark simply pulled him along.

“I guess everyone’s still at the dance,” Jackson said as they swiped their student badges to get in the building. “You’re at the east end, second floor?”

Mark nodded, heading directly for the stairs. 

It took mere seconds for Mark to reach his room, trying to determine how much time he’d have to make out with Jackson before Henry returned from the dance and sought him out. Maybe twenty minutes? An hour? How long did dances last in general?

“Mark.” Jackson put out a sudden, strong arm, stopping him from advancing any more. “Stop. Look.”

Up ahead Mark could see the door to his room cracked. It was not supposed to be open.

Inching forward, Mark gave the door the tiniest of pushes, revealing to him a pitch black room that had him feeling for the light switch. The sun warding blinds were down, which meant even with his heightened sight, he couldn’t see anything. If there was someone in his room, he wanted to know.

Mark’s fingers caught the switch and he jerked up right away, illuminating the room.

“Holy shit,” Jackson said from behind him, a steady hand on Mark’s shoulder. “Who did you piss off?”

“No one,” Mark eased out , taking in the sight of his completely destroyed room. “At least I don’t think so.” 

Everything was overturned, from the small table he did his homework at and ate on, to the sofa in the living space. His bedroom showed that his bed was flipped, cabinets upturned, and even some of the things that had been hanging on the wall were now on the ground. Whoever had broken into his room and destroy it had been especially forceful. More than necessary. The room had all the indications of the destruction being personal. 

“Mark!”

Mark stumbled his way back to the main room where he’d left Jackson. 

“Mark,” Jackson said, this time a lot more softly. “Please tell me this isn’t what I think it is.”

Mark crashed to the floor, his knees taking the blunt impact harshly. But the pain was inconsequential to Mark. All he could focus on, the only thing that mattered, was the overturned, cracked and broken urn that had held the remains of his parents, Grace, and what had been salvage of Tammy and Joey from the fire. 

His family’s ashes, his last remaining tie to them, were scattered around the room, carelessly dumped or thrown, but deliberately done so. 

And on the wall was a message, carved into the wallpaper, slashed by a knife, that Mark was next. 

“Mark?”

Mark’s shoulders shook first, his breath hitching, and then as he reached for the ashes of his family, his fingers sifting through their grainy remains, the tears came. 

“Oh, god, Mark.” Jackson sank down next to him, nearly pressing along his back. “I’m so sorry.”

“My family,” Mark gasped out s the tears picked up, blurring his vision and dropping down to clump together the ashes. “Their remains …”

Jackson’s head dipped to rest against Mark’s head for a half second of support, then he was climbing up to his feet, instructing, “You stay here. I’m going to run and get help.” He sounded distant to Mark, like he was far away or underwater. “Don’t move, Mark. Don’t move an inch.”

Jackson’s footsteps faded and Mark was left alone with his tears.

The ashes caked under his fingernails, and creased into his skin as he balled his hands into fists. The fear and the sorrow was passing quickly, with every second that ticked by, and in such a way that Mark was beginning to feel numb. And then there was nothing left of him, nothing left to give, and nothing left to cling to. Nothing but the rage inside, ripping his heart to shreds in desperation for justice.


	8. Eight

The plane ride to San Francisco consisted of the most awkward hour of silence in Mark’s life. With his spirit crushed from the most recent attack against him, he tried to ignore all the tension and simply rest against the plush seat of the luxury jet as they soared through the night sky. The flight had been a smooth one so far, which Mark supposed was a small bit of consideration, but his stomach was all knotted up anyway. There was vertigo on the peripheral of his vision, and even if he knew he couldn’t sleep a wink, he’d have give anything to have a bed to curl up in. 

Near him he could feel Henry tapping out a nervous pattern on the seat armrest, and across the aisle was Zhou Mi, his face pinched in what Mark assumed to be some kind of irrational guilt. Any time something happened, Zhou Mi liked to hold himself accountable. His insistence of playing the martyr was something Mark didn’t think he could handle at the moment. 

Both Henry and Zhou Mi hadn’t said two words to either Mark himself or anyone else. It was normal for Zhou Mi to be so quiet, but no so much for Henry. It was uncertain if the silence was hurting or helping, but it did give Mark a chance to think.

Stuck in Mark’s mind was the way Henry had reacted when he’d come upon the scene in Mark’s dorm. He’d expected rage from his cousin, from Henry who never deliberately discriminated against humans, but very much had a prejudiced father as an example of acceptable behavior. But instead Henry had fallen to his knees next to Mark. He’d crashed down so heavy, hands in his hair, pulling violently at the strands, and then he’d started screaming.

Such horrific mourning sounds had come from Henry--wails of agony as if he were being tortured. And Mark was suddenly reminded that Henry had lost loved ones as well. He’d lost an aunt and an uncle who adored him. He’d lost three cousins that he’d grown up playing with, who were the cousins he was closest to, and family members that were everything to him in the years following his mother’s death. This new event was a knife to Henry’s heart the same as Mark’s.

And what a sight they must have made when Zhou Mi and Amber and the whole of the faculty came pouring in, Mark clutching desperately at ashes that only slipped through his fingers, and Henry ripping his own hair out as he rocked back and forth on the carpeted floor.

To Mark, it felt as if all the good he’d managed, all the progress he’d made, was for nothing. It felt as if he’d survived the loss of his family only to endure more suffering. The happy moments of the past few months, from learning of his uncle’s survival, to meeting Jackson, to even simpler things, such as remembering Grace fondly in the company of Kyuhyun, was washed away.

Because someone had broken into Mark’s room. They’d trashed the place, which was of little consequence. But inexcusably, they taken the urn, the thing that Mark coveted the most in the world, and spilled its contents. This person, whoever they were, had disrupted the peace of his family, disrespected their remains, and desecrated something so sacred Mark struggled to breathe when he thought of it.

“Mark.”

His name was spoken so quietly that Mark barely registered it. But he forced himself to give Amber the tiniest of smiles. She was seated next to him, looking nauseous herself, but also seeming as if she wouldn’t leave his side for anything.

She’d been the one to pry his fingers away from the ashes. Amber had kissed his wet cheeks, stroked his hair, and then finally, finally, made him stop groping for ashes that weren’t meant to be held. She’d taken him to the bathroom and helped him wash up, and when that wasn’t enough, she’d started him a bath, helped him discretely and carefully into it, and then waited for him to finish.

Amber, precious Amber, had waited with him until the water went cold, and even then some more.

And when she finally got him into an unrecognizable bed to rest, probably her own, with Zhou Mi prowling about the space with narrowed eyes, she’d done the same for Henry.

Mark had listened to Henry cry for an hour. He’d listened to Amber comfort him. And never so much before had Mark been aware of how badly both he and Henry needed her. Without her, he didn’t know how either of them would have survived.

“Mark,” she said again, and then her hand came to rest on his, cool but comforting. She didn’t say that things would get better. She didn’t ask him if he was okay. She merely lent him her strength and held his hand.

For a half moment Mark did feel a bit more courageous. He’d spent most of the flight so far with his eyes closed, willing himself not to start crying again, worried that if he started, he’d never be able to stop. But now he looked past Henry, past Amber, and further down than even where Zhou Mi was seated, staring blankly into his hands.

Mark looked to his uncle.

He wasn’t really sure when his uncle had arrived at Hawthorne. Maybe he’d flown in somewhere between Mark washing the ashes of his family from his skin, and being put to bed by Amber.

But when Mark had emerged from the bedroom to wander the halls and eventually end up back at his dorm room, no longer able to toss and turn and pretend as if sleep was an option, he’d found his uncle in the most undignified position possible.

Mark’s uncle had always been an aristocrat. Mark’s mother had loved her jeans and her gardening. She’d loved getting her hands dirty and laughing loudly and acting as improper as she could get away with. Mark’s uncle had been her polar opposite, always immaculately dressed, with a calm, educated way of speaking that radiated the pureblood vampire legacy he was a part of. Mark had never seen him wear anything but pressed slacks and pristine shirts. His uncle hadn’t ever eaten with his fingers, never had a hair out of place, nor used curse words. Mark’s uncle had been perfect from the way he’d acted to the way he looked.

And Mark had found him, contrary to that, on his hands and knees in Mark’s dorm room, meticulously collecting the ashes of their family from the surfaces they’d been scattered across. His perfect, beautiful uncle, with tears in his eyes, had been collecting up their family from the floor, not caring for one second what he looked like, or who saw him, or anything of the sort. He’d handled the ashes with such reverent gentleness that Mark had nearly burst into tears once more over the sight.

Mark had never loved him so much as in that moment.

Now Mark looked his uncle over and tried to imagine what was running through his mind. What was he planning to do? What would he say to the council they were flying towards?

Just behind Mark’s uncle sat several more figures, mostly bodyguards, vampires that accompanied Mark’s uncle around wherever he went now, ever since his throat had been cut in the council attack. 

But the real surprise, possibly a welcomed one, was at the back of the jet. Occupying the space nearest the end of the aircraft was Kyuhyun. It made sense, naturally, that he’d be traveling with them to San Francisco, if only to save time and energy as they’d all been summoned by the council. Mark hadn’t had a chance to talk with Kyuhyun since the incident that had sparked the emergency council meeting, but Mark was glad to have him along all the same. 

He only wished Kyuhyun didn’t look so tired. So worn down. Next to him his faithful friends and bodyguards Minho and Changmin played a round of cards, but Kyuhyun appeared disinterested. He was gazing out the window, out into the black abyss of the night sky, and looked like he hadn’t felt a moment of peace, nor rested, in ages. Mark wondered if Kyuhyun was thinking about Grace’s ashes being disturbed. Kyuhyun was probably always thinking of Grace.

“We’ll be there soon,” Amber said quietly towards him, closing her eyes and tipping her head back on the seat. She swallowed visibly and held in her free hand a bottle of club soda. Mark frowned and wanted to ask her if she was feeling okay. He’d thought earlier that she was only upset from the recent events, but maybe she was actually ill. Vampires, especially purebloods, were rarely ill. But if Amber was, the last thing Mark wanted was her having to fret over him.

So he whispered back to her, “I know. Thank you.” He allowed his head to rest on her shoulder and felt her head press against his. 

She’d likely feel better when they were on the ground and out into fresh air. The jet was lavish, gorgeous even, and more spacious than Mark had thought private planes could be. But it was still small. And at near full capacity, Mark couldn’t wait to get out of it despite the short flight time.

Maybe it just felt crowded because next to Mark, on his other side and in the free seat nearest the window, was a small, beautiful box. It was white porcelain, with whorls of blue hand painted across its surface and a gold locking mechanism on the side. Gone was the urn, and in its place was the box. A more durable box. The last thing that would ever contain the precious little that remained of Mark’s family’s ashes.

His uncle had handed him the box hours earlier, hands shaking, and said, “Do not let anything happen to this. Do not let us fall to shame.” He hadn’t meant it in a mean way. His uncle had been too broken to be mean. But there also hadn’t been much left in the way of ashes to save. There hadn’t been a lot of their family to recover. And protecting the ashes, ensuring they remained protected, was a matter of honor. It was more than just a duty. It was a privilege. 

The box felt like a newborn to Mark, and he could barely stand to let it out of his sight. It was funny, then, that Henry couldn’t seem to look at it.

“Don’t be nervous,” Amber said, squeezing his hand diligently. 

“I’m not nervous,” Mark replied. It wasn’t a lie. He just wasn’t sure what he was.

He probably should have been, though. It didn’t matter that he was about to become the official head of his family when he had his introduction. It was still intimidating to face the council, and he’d only ever seen the thirteen representatives assembled in one place once before. They’d all been together when their mother had presented Grace for their approval. Mark had been young, very young, and barely remembered the event at all. But he remembered how small they made him feel. He remembered how intimidating they were.

Less than an hour later they were on the ground, unbuckling seatbelts and gathering up belongings. When Mark descended from plane and out into the open he took a deep breath of air, then made his way to one of the two cars parked nearby.

Mark didn’t know where they were going. Not specifically. The car wound through the mismatched and uneven streets of San Francisco expertly and Mark was only vaguely aware of the area. If he asked, he was certain his uncle would tell him the exact address of their destination, but Mark was almost glad not to know. He liked staring out the car’s window up at the petite houses, all squished together so improbably on crooked hills. It was better than having to make small talk.

It was some time before they stopped in front of a moderately sized home, looking completely normal in a neighborhood that seemed pleasant and quaint enough. From there Mark journeyed from the car into the home’s foyer, down a passageway that was expertly hidden behind a false wall, and at least two stories down to a space so open and wide that it must have run the length of several homes underground. Mark was impressed with the extensive underground network. 

There were plenty of vampires already filling the space too, dozens of them actually, but Mark wasn’t certain which of them were council members, which of them were heirs, and who merely had the privilege of being present. 

Mark felt anonymous. For once he wasn’t the most important person in the room, and certainly not the highest ranked in terms of importance. He could blend in with plenty of others, and it was a nice comfort.

“Excuse me,” Amber said, cutting to the side and away from them, looking green in the face. With a delayed, unsure face, Henry looked torn.

“Go,” Mark said, pushing at his cousin. “Go check on her.”

“Come,” his uncle said, cutting in smoothly, a hand at Mark’s shoulder. “You and I will present the united front that we are.”

He whispered back, what he already knew his uncle was aware of, “I’ve never met the council before. Not in person. I saw them when Grace was presented, but I wasn’t exactly worth them acknowledging back then.” He’d been studying them though, learning the names and faces of vampires he’d find himself surrounded by for the next several hundred years. They were the face of vampire behavior, justice and law. What they decided effected all vampires directly, and it terrified Mark to think one day soon he’d be one of them.

“That is inconsequential.” And as if reading Mark’s mind, his uncle added, “Do not let them intimidate you. You are their equal. In fact, you are many of their superior. Your age has nothing to do with your status. You have every right to be here. Do not let them tell you otherwise.”

Mark’s eyes strayed to Kyuhyun who was quickly slipping out of the room, heading down a nearby hallway and away from the gathering. 

Where was he going? They were due to start any second.

A moment later Mark spied a figure moving after Kyuhyun. Siwon. That couldn’t be good.

“Have you been forging a friendship with Prince Kyuhyun?” his uncle asked, clearly having traced his gaze.

Mark gave a wordless nod. He could recall Kyuhyun’s words clearly, and the warning about the traitor in their midst. It was a vampire, and someone who had access to council information. Desperately Mark wanted to share Kyuhyun’s suspicions with his uncle. He wanted to share them with Henry, too. But something told him to wait--to hold back. Kyuhyun didn’t have any proof. He only had empty accusations, and every move that Mark made now had to be something worthwhile. If and when Kyuhyun had more to offer, Mark was going to let the people he trusted most know, and hope they could help.

“Well,” his uncle said with a sigh, almost as if he didn’t approve, though Mark couldn’t fathom why not, “he is quite powerful. Influential, too. He’s perhaps a good ally to have. You know of his tie to Grace?”

Mark gave a jerky nod. “They were matched. He loved her.”

His uncle looked more pleased then. “We can use that.”

Mark didn’t want to use anything or anyone. And he was convinced, no matter what others thought, that he could do more good by building friendships, than burning bridges.

Crankily Mark heard hid uncle complain about Henry’s disappearance.

“I’ll go get him, and Amber too,” Mark said right away, all of the sudden desperate to be away from his uncle. He couldn’t stand the idea of his uncle wanting him to use his friendship with Kyuhyun in any way. But he also couldn’t imagine for one second that he’d be able to pick anyone over his uncle. So he was making a tactical retreat, before his uncle could eek out any more information about how much Mark liked Kyuhyun. 

“Five minutes,” his uncle warned, then offered him a small smile. “We can’t be tardy for your first official meeting as a part of the council.”

Mark flashed him a thumbs up and took off down the same hallway that Kyuhyun and Siwon had gone down. There had to be a bathroom that way as well, or a room that Amber had ducked into to fight whatever illness she was feeling.

“Henry?” Mark called out as he moved along, bypassing doors and trying not to be nosey as he peeked into some of them. Most were empty, typically filled with boxes and old, covered furniture. None of them contained his cousin or Amber.

“--at the funeral.”

Mark paused just before a corner, ears picking up the unique rumble of Kyuhyun’s voice.

“I didn’t think it was entirely proper,” a second voice answered. Siwon.

Moving as stealthily as possible, Mark neared closer. They weren’t focused on him, which meant they probably weren’t listening for an interloper. Mark didn’t want to overhear their conversation, but he thought it would be infinitely more awkward if they saw him. They were both in a nearby room, the door cracked so Mark could just see their forms, and with any luck, they’d be done soon. He certainly couldn’t get by the door without them seeing him.

“It was noticed,” Kyuhyun said, “your absence. It was less proper that you weren’t there to pay your respects. I felt slighted on Grace’s behalf.”

Siwon was standing so close to Kyuhyun that Mark felt his own face flush at the body language. With shoulders turned in, Siwon was almost a good head taller than Kyuhyun, though the both of them were already exceptionally tall. But Kyuhyun didn’t seem cowed by Siwon’s stance in the least bit, and if anything he was leaning into him. They reeked of intimacy, and Mark felt a little envious that they could be that way with each other.

Mark reminded himself that they were friends. No matter what Siwon felt for Kyuhyun, they were still friends. Kyuhyun trusted Siwon.

“I’m sorry,” Siwon said with sincerity. “You’re right. I was wrong not to go. Grace deserved a last boon of respect. Kyu. I’ll pay my respects the next chance I have.”

A rare, soft smile unfolded across Kyuhyun’s features. “How are you, Siwon?”

“Better than you,” Siwon replied, then added quickly, “My mother has asked me to inquire about your father. You know she cares for him.”

Mark leaned back against the wall and sighed quietly. Was he going to be stuck for what precious little time he had listening to mundane or benign conversations between old friends? If so, Mark was more interested in cutting his losses and going directly back to his uncle without Amber or Henry.

He caught the tail end of more of the conversation, surprised to hear that Kyuhyun and Siwon had changed subjects so soon.

Siwon was saying, “--considered what I’ve proposed to you?”

Tension locked up Kyuhyun’s form as he folded his arms around himself. It was the smallest he’d ever looked, the most insecure or fragile. And it seemed to take real effort for him to say, “We’ve spoken about this many times, Siwon.”

“And,” Siwon charged back, his voice raising just slightly, “I’ve always respected your feelings on the matter. But Grace is--”

“--still alive in my heart.”

Siwon looked away, towards the open door, and Mark froze. He thought for certain Siwon knew he was there. 

But then Siwon said quietly, sadly, “I would give it all up for you, if you’d only have me. I would give up everything for you.”

Mark barely dared to look towards them in time to see Kyuhyun bring a hand up to Siwon’s jaw. His fingers rested there gingerly as he mumbled, “You are the head of your family now. It’s not something you can give up so easily. It’s not something you should want to.”

“I have two younger sisters,” Siwon said firmly, his fingers catching Kyuhyun’s and squeezing tightly. “Both of them have trained significantly for the position of heir. Either would be a fine stand-in, and my father would have been proud of either of them taking up the mantle as head of family. If you agree to marry me, if you agree to have me, I’ll let one of them have the title. I’ll let one of them have it all. The shame others would try to make me feel would be nothing to endure, not compared to what I would have in return.”

The implications of Siwon’s words were not lost on Mark, who knew that heirs, particularly those raised from birth to know what their future would entail, were expected to fight viciously to hang onto their power. No heir was supposed to place anything above the welfare of their family, and to do so was likened to the highest form of cowardice and disrespect possible. If Siwon abdicated his position, he’d be a laughing stock. He’d be shunned. He’d be beyond disgraced. And still he was offering to do it, if Kyuhyun wanted him to.

Because, Mark realized, he and Kyuhyun couldn’t be together if the both of them were the heads of their respective families. There was no way the council would allow that kind of joining of power. 

“Siwon. I can’t.”

“Please,” Siwon said, voice cracking. “Please, Kyu. I love you.”

“I can’t,” Kyuhyun repeated, drawing his hand back. “I can’t force myself to feel things for you I don’t. I love you very much. You are my greatest friend. But I’m not in love with you, and I very much doubt I ever will be.”

Mark inched himself way. He shouldn’t be hearing what he was. It wasn’t right. It was so private.

“You don’t know that,” he heard Siwon say back. “You could grow to love me. If you only give yourself a chance. I would make you happy. I’d do anything for you. I’d go anywhere, or be anything. For you it would be no burden. If you’ll only say yes.”

Mark was almost completely out of earshot when with finality, Kyuhyun’s voice rang out, “I wouldn’t be in love with you when we married. That’s what I care most about, and it’s what you should as well. You deserve someone who will put you first in their heart, and want to be everything for you, that you’re offering to be for me. I am not that person, Siwon. I’m so sorry to hurt you, but if you truly care for me, you won’t ask again.”

There was a lump in Mark’s throat as he ducked away. He wasn’t sure who he felt worse for, Kyuhyun or Siwon. Neither one seemed to be in a good position, and it was only made worse by all the circumstances surrounding them.

“No such luck?” his uncle asked as Mark trotted back to his side. 

Mark shook his head, thinking it best not to mention Siwon or Kyuhyun at all. “I have no clue where either of them went.”

His uncle’s shoulders heaved for a second, then he nodded. “It’s just as well. Yours is truly the only presence needed, unless the council should want to question Henry about anything he may have witnessed.”

“Question?” Mark echoed. He was under the impression that this was a caucus. That they were meant to discuss the growing threat of humans, and attempt to discern if there was a correlation to the actions against Mark at Hawthorne. Of all things, Mark didn’t want Henry dragged into council business. Not even if he knew his cousin would be happy to offer assistance. 

“It’s time,” his uncle said lowly, so much that Mark barely caught the words. “Finally.”

There was a soft chime, from an origin that Mark couldn’t place, and then a group of men and women were making their way up to a dais at the head of the main room where thirteen seats had been arranged. They filed in according to which family they represented, heads of family first, and heirs second. It was orderly, calm and sort of terrifying, at least when Mark imagined that soon, very soon, he’d be with them. 

Mark’s eyes raked over them and he fought back the smallest of smiles as Kyuhyun and Siwon did their best to slip into the ranks smoothly, Kyuhyun behind his father and Siwon in front of a young girl who shared too similar features to be anything but a sibling. 

Once again it only reminded Mark that he had no heir of his own. It was clear that Siwon, being young and unmarried, had no direct heir himself. He must have appointed that position to one of his younger sisters, one of them that he’d spoken about to Kyuhyun. She was a placeholder of sorts, but Mark knew it provided a strong front for Siwon’s family. Mark would have to do something of the same. If his uncle was invalidated, Mark absolutely had to find out about Henry. If Henry was eligible, Mark’s decision was made for him. If not, Mark shuddered to think of how infinitely more difficult it would be. The last thing he wanted were dozens of cousins vying for the position. 

“Prince Mark,” Zhou Mi said, emerging at his side and holding out a hand. “I’ll escort you to your seat.”

Mark frowned. “My seat?”

“Go,” his uncle urged, turning to look for Henry and Amber once more. 

With a shaking hand, Mark put his fingers in Zhou Mi’s grip and it took him only a second more to realize that he was being led up to where the rest of the council was waiting. And all eyes were on him.

Zhou Mi took him to the seat fourth from the left and it was a surprise because Mark hadn’t imagined that he’d sit with the others until he was officially introduced in a few months. But he supposed he still had a vote, at least his uncle said as much, and he was still the potential head of his family. An heir. That meant he represented his family, especially during council proceedings. 

A voice cleared and a councilwoman stood.

“We are here,” the representative from the eleventh family, a woman situated so far down the line that Mark could barely see her, spoke, “to discuss the continued attacks against our own, at the behest of Marcus of the fourth family.”

Standing directly in front of the council, Mark watched his uncle draw himself up to his full height. He wasted no time snapping, “I find it absolutely abhorrent that this council has continued to allow my nephew, who is very much the last standing heir of my sister, to be placed in constant, threatening danger. One of your own!”

Mark’s eyes strayed to Kyuhyun who was standing, along with the other heirs, just behind the seated council members. He had one hand visible on the high back of his father’s chair and was wholly focused on Mark’s uncle as he spoke. His face was unreadable, as was Siwon’s at his seat. There was an intensity to the both of them, and a fierce concentration that Mark respected immediately.

“The failings of your nephew’s safety is not this council’s first concern at the moment. Neither is it our explicit responsibility,” the female vampire shot back, her eyes narrowing. “Marcus, if you’ll remember, you were the one who asked that he be placed at Hawthorne Academy. We wished to place him at Twilight Academy where there is an increased council presence and where we were confident Prince Mark would receive a superior education geared towards his readiness to serve on this council. You argued against this as if it were your dying wish. We explained to you that Prince Mark might be vulnerable at Hawthorne Academy, but you were certain it was best for him. We deferred to you, as his current guardian.”

This was the first Mark was hearing of this, and it had his eyes shooting away from Kyuhyun and back to his uncle. 

“Not your first priority?” his uncle snapped, shoulders tense. “He’s the last surviving direct heir of the fourth family! How is he not your first priority? Should anything happen to him, be it your responsibility or not, I don’t think I need to remind you the serious ramifications it would mean for this council, yourself included.” Mark’s uncle’s eyes narrowed dangerous and Mark felt his stomach flip over at the dark indicator. “And your daughter as well.”

Tiffany. Mark recognized the daughter in question, Tiffany, from Hawthorne. She was the heir to the eleventh family. She was a little scary, like all purebloods at Hawthorne, but Mark had seen her be exceptionally sweet to her match Jessica, and Mark understood fully what his uncle was implying. No doubt everyone did.

This time a different council vampire spoke, saying, “We are dealing with the rising tensions between vampires and humans as a direct result of recent events. Things are reaching a critical point. We cannot focus on individuals. Our focus must be on our species as a whole.”

“Mark is being targeted!” his uncle exploded. “He is being attacked time and time again and the humans are getting increasingly bold. This time it wasn’t enough to frighten Mark. No, they had to act in the most foul and disrespectful way possible, disrupting the ashes of my sister and her family laid to rest.”

Kyuhyun cleared his throat, waited for approval to speak, and then said, “It’s very interesting that humans were able to access Prince Mark’s room on a campus that is expected to be secure. It’s even more interesting that they managed it a second time after the initial act, despite an increase in security.”

“Prince Kyuhyun,” the second family’s heir, a boy who didn’t look much older than Mark, and who’s name Mark couldn’t recall at the moment, interjected, “I’m sure most of us are uncertain as to what you’re leading towards.”

Kyuhyun dipped his head in a bid for forgiveness. “I simply find it fascinating, in light of our superior instincts and abilities, that the humans would be able to evade thousands of vampires in such an isolated location as Hawthorne is. And leave no evidence behind. The only way I might imagine something like that happening, would be either in the instance of them having access to information they should not, or perhaps not being the culprits at all. They--”

His uncle’s voice rose, cutting in sharply, “It is absolutely ludicrous to suspect anyone of our kind working with the humans. We are better than such a distasteful thought, but should you have evidence to counteract this statement, I suggest you present it, Prince Kyuhyun.”

Kyuhyun was silent and Mark felt sick.

“Then,” Siwon said, his gaze flickering past Kyuhyun to Mark for a half second, “the matter at hand is not your nephew’s safety, but rather the human conflict.”

“Aren’t they the same thing?” another vampire asked.

Mark felt absolutely invisible. He was the head of his family, seated up with the rest of the council, and the matter at hand was at least partly about him, but they barely saw him. They barely knew he existed. 

“I want the vote moved up!”

Mark startled at the shout from his uncle.

“The vote?” Siwon asked, eyes narrowed. “We’re all fully aware that you’re acting as Prince Mark’s proxy at the moment, but a vote on the extremely delicate matter of the treaty, must be done by a whole and complete council. The council that intends to handle this matter to the end.”

Weathered and beaten looking, Kyuhyun’s father gestured to his son, barely seeming as if he was aware of where he was. “No vote until Kyuhyun takes my place.”

At the mention, Kyuhyun nodded. “My father won’t officially step down from his seat for another two weeks, and Prince Mark won’t be eligible for his introduction to vampire society for another eight weeks. A vote can’t be made before then.”

Mark’s uncle argued, “And in the meanwhile we continue to be sitting ducks? Prey to humans? I won’t let my nephew become a victim. If he’s attacked again, I will have him fight back.”

“Absolutely not!” several vampires broke out at the same time, followed by a much louder voice, from the first family, who stated, “Any violent altercation between a member of the council and a human at this moment will be akin to the start of a new conflict or war. We cannot afford that spark.”

Mark was tired of being invisible. And whether he liked it or not, Zhou Mi was lending him strength just by focusing on him, showing him that he wasn’t alone.

“The humans,” Mark said, starting weakly, but rallying himself, “killed my family.” He stood slowly, voice rising as the room went silent. “They attacked the most important members of our society, with heartbreaking casualties. The fourth family recognizes the losses of the ninth and the sixth. We mourn for your losses as you’ve mourned for ours. And now the fourth family asks how many others there will have to be. I am not a vengeful person. I’m not. But they defiled my family’s memory yesterday. They disrupted the rest of their remains. I can’t stand for this. And I won’t see anyone else go through what I have. I say no more losses of loved ones. No more funerals. This council must do something.”

He had the eyes of everyone in the room and he felt powerful. His uncle was shining with pride while other vampires, Siwon included, looked pleasantly surprised by his boldness.

“You propose moving against the humans?” a vampire asked Mark. “Sparking a war that will take even more casualties? The fourth family supports this course of action? This course of war?”

Mark frowned. “If you’re asking me how I’ll vote in eight weeks when I’m of age, I can’t say either way just yet. I will, of course, give that much more thought than the impulse reactions I feel now. But we can’t just sit here and be targeted. We can’t sit here like we’re easy targets. Something has to be done. I’m tired of being hurt. Are any of you?”

It was as if his uncle had been waiting for that moment, because seconds later the older man was breaking in with, “Listen to reason! Either this council acts in a way befitting the members who are most in need of protection, or I will pull my nephew from Hawthorne and take him as far away from that place as possible. I’ll hide him away, even from you, if that’s what it takes to keep him safe.”

“You will not,” Kyuhyun snapped, and he was absolutely so vicious about his tone that Mark was startled. “Prince Mark, despite the incidents that have occurred, has more protection at Hawthorne Academy than anywhere else you can take him. And contrary to the idea you seem to have over the concern we share for him, we will not allow you to remove him and expose him.”

“He’s already exposed!”

“Regardless,” Kyuhyun’s father grumbled out in agreement, “Kyuhyun is correct. Prince Mark will not be removed from Hawthorn Academy. And it surprises this council that you would try to make such a bold move. It was you who argued that he was safer with his cousin for protection. It was you who said his place was at Hawthorne, with his match by his side to watch over him. Or am I mistaken?”

Mark froze, air catching in his throat and heart seizing.

Match.

What was that Kyuhyun’s father had said? He’d said … it wasn’t possible …

The way Zhou Mi looked away for the first time, guilt all but overtaking his expression, exposed everything to Mark.

“This matter of Prince Mark’s unfortunate incidents at Hawthorne is adjourned for now,” the first family’s representative vampire said. “We will meet again in two weeks for the ascension of Prince Kyuhyun to his place on this council officially. At that time we may revisit the aggression towards Prince Mark, and the possible correlation to the previous attacks on our council. For now, this council will retire. This location is not as secure as we would hope. Time is not on our side.”

Mark couldn’t move. He couldn’t do anything but sit, his eyes locked on Zhou Mi who was pointedly not looking in his direction, and if anything inching away.

“Mark?” Henry asked, taking a tentative step up to him as the rest of the vampires cleared out quickly. “Mark? You look pale.” 

Mark looked frantically from Henry, who seemed to have appeared out of thin air, to Kyuhyun who was standing still at his father’s seat, and then back to Zhou Mi who’s eyes were now closed as he took deep breaths.

Mark heard his uncle move after the departing council members, demanding more time from them, but so little of Mark cared about that at the moment. 

Mark, voice shaking, asked Henry, “I have a match?” It was too much. “Tell me the truth now. Don’t you dare try to lie to me. I swear to god, if you--”

“You do.”

It was Amber who spoke, looking a little better, but still like she was coming down with something. She was at Henry’s side, a hand on his back in either comfort or support or something else entirely.

“And,” Mark asked with a cracking voice, “is it Zhou Mi?”

“It is,” she said, being the one to answer again.

Mark strained to look for him around Henry and Amber’s bodies, still not trusting his feet to hold him if he stood. “Why?” It didn’t make sense. His mother had promised him … “Why? I just … why?”

It wasn’t possible this match had sprung up over night. It hadn’t been a recent development. That was something Mark knew without having to be told. Matches were things arranged in childhood, then brought to the forefront in puberty. If he had a match it meant that his parents had done it while he was still a child, and then lied to him about it his entire life. They had lied right to his face, his mother had, when she’d sworn to him that he wouldn’t be tied down by something so hindering as an arranged marriage.

“Mark.”

Zhou Mi approached slowly, hands tucked behind his back as if he were being led to his execution. Mark couldn’t deny he was feeling the urge of physical violence towards a person he had trusted. A person who’d known all along that they were supposed to get married. That they were supposed to be together.

“Mark, I’m so sorry--”

“We’re matched?”

Zhou Mi nodded. 

“My parents said I … I wasn’t an heir … I shouldn’t have …” His voice shook and made him feel pathetic. 

Softly, Zhou Mi knelt by the chair he sat in and said, “You have been living in a bubble, Mark. I am not saying this it hurt you, only so you understand. Your parents raised you to be free, and the truth is you are not. You are bound by all the rules that the rest of us are, the difference is you didn’t know you were. You have a match because you were born into a bloodline that values such things. And because while you may perceive a match as being something that holds you down, the purpose of our match was to offer you additional protection and support.”

“Protection?” Mark snapped out. He could feel his fingers shaking and he clamped down on them, refusing to show weakness. “Was this a joke to you? Just follow Mark around and make fun of him for not knowing? Were you looking for the perfect time to spring this on me so you could laugh? All of you?”

He had never felt so betrayed by all the people he cared about.

“Not in the least bit,” Zhou Mi said, his eyes so kind. “I simply knew how much your parents meant to you. You loved them deeply. Therefore I knew it would hurt you to know they hid this from you. I only wanted to protect you from being hurt a little longer.”

“I am not in love with you,” Mark said, thinking only of Jackson. How would he tell Jackson this? How would he deal with it? 

“Matches don’t require love.” 

“I won’t--”

“Prince Mark.”

Mark looked to Kyuhyun who was now standing beside Zhou Mi. He had a hand outstretched and a carefully guarded look on his face.

“Prince Kyuhyun,” Mark returned, reaching for the hand. There was still Kyuhyun, he realized. There was still Kyuhyun who didn’t lie or hide things or pretend to be what he wasn’t.

“I will see him back to the plane,” Kyuhyun told Zhou Mi, helping Mark steady himself on his jelly legs. “Rest assured, I’m more than adequate protection for your intended.”

Zhou Mi let them pass silently, and Mark delivered such a hurtful look to his cousin that he wondered if Henry could sense their relationship would never be the same again.

Mark knew he was squeezing Kyuhyun’s hand too tightly, and he told the older male, “Thank you,” the second they were back up on the public streets and Mark could breathe again.

“You were unaware?” Kyuhyun asked, escorting him to a car that Minho and Changmin climbed into first. 

“That I was matched?” Mark huffed. “Yeah. I had no idea.” But he should have. Now he felt nothing but naïve and stupid. The hints had been there all alone. The way Zhou Mi had acted, how Henry had constantly pushed them together, and how Amber looked so concerned all the time. The hints were glaringly obvious now.

Kyuhyun closed the door behind them and waited until the car was rolling to say, “Zhou Mi is right, Mark. Matches do not require love to be successful. And he is a good match for you. Your parents wouldn’t have chosen him otherwise.”

Mark shot back darkly, “Then isn’t Siwon good for you? He certainly thinks so.”

It was a terrible thing to say, rooted in anger and distress, and it revealed too much about what Mark knew. The look on Kyuhyun’s face, the open sadness, was something Mark regretted greatly. 

Changmin gave him a venomous sneer and Minho looked as if he wanted to say any number of things to Mark, none of them kind.

Mark beat the both of them by apologizing quickly, “I’m sorry, Kyuhyun. That’s none of my business. I … overheard something I wasn’t meant to. I’m sorry. That was wrong of me.”

Kyuhyun was silent for minutes more before he finally said, “Matches are not made lightly, Mark. Our parents choose partners that will compliment us, be kind to us, and offer us as much strength and power as possible. If your parents saw all this in Zhou Mi, it’s only a refection of how much they love you that they arranged this. You might not have been their heir, or anywhere close to the position, but they saw the threats towards you long before you did. I guarantee you this was a match based on the protection it afforded to you. They would not have made it otherwise.”

“I don’t care!” Mark bit out. He sunk in his seat and watched the scenery fly past him. “I’m not marrying him. I don’t care what anyone says.”

“The wedding wouldn’t be for a good deal time more. Decades, surely, if not more. Vampires prefer long engagements.”

“I don’t care.”

Kyuhyun gave a small laugh. “Then I suppose you’ll be calling it off shortly.”

Mark shot him a confused glance. “Calling it off?”

Minho and Changmin were doing their best to give the illusion of privacy as Kyuhyun said, “You’re in a very particular and interesting position, Mark. Matches are enforced by the heads of families, and you’re about to come of age. You are the head of your family, as far as that authority goes. Effectively, you are in charge of your own match. Call it off if you want, when you have your introduction, or keep it. But think on the matter. Zhou Mi is a good match for you. He strengthens your family, and I tell you honestly, it’s strength your family needs.”

“I hate that,” Mark said, huffing and turning to lean on the window. People had said it often to him, Henry had said it, and now it was making sense. Of course they were bound to say that he and Zhou Mi were a good match. It was all but said and done. 

“Also,” Kyuhyun added, settling back against his seat. “You might think to take into account Zhou Mi’s feelings on this matter. He was given exactly as much control over this situation as you were. You’re perceiving him as the villain, when in reality he’s more of a victim than you are.”

Mark frowned. “More of a victim than I am?”

Kyuhyun’s lips were pursed tightly for what felt like forever before he said, “Zhou Mi is from the thirteenth family. Of all the families, it is the least honorable in the way it values its members. Zhou Mi is no better than chattel to his family. Ask him about it. He is not the villain. And you are not the hero for refusing this--in fact, it may make you the villain.”


	9. Nine

If Mark had thought the trip out to San Francisco was tense, it had absolutely nothing on the one back.

Mark thought his only saving grace was that because he and Kyuhyun had been the first to arrive at the jet, he’d been able to situate himself strategically. Kyuhyun, who was being more attentive and kind than ever before, was pleased enough to have Mark tuck in next to him, with Changmin and Minho as effective buffers. 

“Mark,” Henry tried once and only once before takeoff. He gripped the back of a seat tightly and didn’t look like he was willing to budge for anything in the world. “Come sit with me. We’ll talk.”

“Talk?” Mark had asked, arching an eyebrow. It was a childish thing to do, burrowing deeper into Kyuhyun’s side as if they were cousins instead of Mark and Henry. But it made him feel better to cause the flicker of pain on Henry’s face. “I’m surprised that now you want to talk and tell me things. Is it only now because you have to? Because you don’t have any choice and you’ve got to try and save face?”

Henry’s jaw set stubbornly. “I want to explain.”

“I don’t want to hear you explain,” Mark said, crossing his arms. “I don’t care what you have to say. I think you need to give me my space, because thanks to you, I get to spend the entire trip back to school thinking about how my cousin, the only person I have left in this world that I trust with all of my heart, has been withholding important things from me. This is important, Henry. Do you get that? Do you even understand that? This breech of trust is … maybe something we can’t come back from.”

From behind Henry, Zhou Mi said quietly, “Henry, he deserves his space. He deserves the right to feel betrayed. You can’t make him forgive you or want to talk to you. You can only let him be.”

Mark felt a burst of anger towards Zhou Mi. He was always so quiet and respectful. He was generous and calm and it was driving Mark crazy. It would have been so much easier to hate Zhou Mi if he were mean or rude or not honorable. 

“I didn’t hide this from you to hurt you,” Henry said as Amber tugged him back, the captain calling for them to ready for takeoff.

“You still did,” Mark shot back to him. He watched Henry shuffle off to a seat in the front and wanted to hurl even more hurtful words at him. Or maybe Zhou Mi, who was lingering with eyes filled with regret, but likely not over the match itself.

“I take it,” Kyuhyun cut in evenly to Zhou Mi, “Mark’s uncle will be remaining behind.”

Zhou Mi who nodded. “He has additional business to attend to. He asked that we pass along to Mark that he’ll continue to work from his end, and hopes that Mark will take his safety as his utmost priority.” Zhou Mi fell silent for a moment, and then Mark felt their eyes lock. “Your safety is my priority, Mark. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Mark wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. He just wanted to be able to breathe. Because it was all making so much sense now. Zhou Mi following him around, always being there, and all the dark looks he sent to Jackson, it all made sense. JB had remarked about Zhou Mi scaring off potential suitors and it was now that Mark realized it had been on purpose. Of course Zhou Mi had been running the competition off. He’d been staking a claim and Mark hadn’t even realized it. 

From the side Minho interjected, “You should get to your seat. It would be a shame if anything happened to you during takeoff.”

Changmin cracked a devilish smile. “I bet Prince Mark would hate that.”

Mark didn’t know if he’d suddenly become best friends with Minho and Changmin, but he certainly liked them better now than ever before. 

Zhou Mi’s head tilted and then he was headed to a seat in the front near Henry.

“Speak with him,” Kyuhyun said softly, most of his voice being drowned out by the engines. “You owe him. You’re angry now, but there is always more to a situation than what is perceived at first glance.”

Mark’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You think I owe him?”

“You owe him,” Kyuhyun said once more, giving no room for disagreement. “Let him speak his mind. You’ll understand better then.”

Mark was happy enough to doze through the rest of the flight. Minho and Changmin talked him into a couple rounds of poker, none of which they permitted Kyuhyun to play, claiming that he was a card counting cheater. And for the most part, despite the tension, the flight was uneventful.

And neither did anything remarkable happen during the journey from the small airport they arrived at, to Hawthorne Academy via the same black sedan that had driven them the first time. 

Mark stuck to Kyuhyun the entire time, and both Henry and Zhou Mi let it happen. Mark sort of dared them to try and stop him.

“This way,” Kyuhyun said, guiding Mark when they arrived back to campus. “I’ve had your things, those that survived, moved up to your new room.”

“My new room?” With him Mark carried the blue box that contain the remains of his family. It had been kept safe in the plane while Mark had faced down the council. 

“The room you should have had from the beginning,” Kyuhyun remarked, and took him up the very top floor of the boy’s dorm, to the door next to Kyuhyun’s.

“I don’t need all this,” Mark said, happy to have a break from the wounded looks Henry was sending him and the guilty ones from Zhou Mi. They hadn’t followed him past the elevator, and Amber hadn’t gone past the entrance to the dormitory itself. 

The new room he was assigned to was the same size as Kyuhyun’s and way more than he could possible make use of. Unlike Kyuhyun’s room that looked lived in, this one was sterile and spotless, and Mark worried how much effort it would take to make it look like Kyuhyun’s. Mark didn’t own much in the way of personal possessions, and hadn’t even had enough to fill the much smaller room he’d had before. “And what do you mean I should have had this room from the beginning?” 

As Mark moved from one side of the room to another in awe, Kyuhyun settled himself on the edge of a nearby sofa. He gave Mark an incredulous look and said, “You’re a prince, Mark. Do you really think a prince should have had the room you did?”

“It seemed fine to me?” Mark shrugged. He’d never been the kind of person who cared about having a lot or being someone others found envious. 

“Aish,” Kyuhyun huffed out. “Zhou Mi was right. Your parents raised you in a bubble. Mark, the only reason you received the room you did was because you uncle wanted to keep you under your cousin’s thumb, and therefore his own. Putting you in the room across from him insured that Henry would know where you were at all times, and what you were doing. It also put you close enough to Zhou Mi that together the two of them could exercise complete control of you. Tell me you realized this already.”

“My cousin isn’t like that,” Mark said sharply. He didn’t now if he and Henry could recover from what had just happened, but Mark certainly wasn’t going to let anyone drag him through the mud. Or imply anything the likes of what Kyuhyun was.

“He’s like that enough to keep the knowledge that you’re matched from you.”

Mark leveled a heavy finger at Kyuhyun and pointed. “Don’t try to manipulate me or the situation. Stop trying to turn me against Henry.”

A pleased expression crossed Kyuhyun’s face. “You’re learning, I see.” He rose from his seat and headed to the door. “I’ll be going now. Try to stay out of trouble for five minutes. I’ll more than displeased if I have to create an incident of some kind because you got yourself into trouble and need me to help you out.”

Mark rolled his eyes. “I’d never ask you to.” Well, not unless he really had to. Being indebted to anyone, even someone considered an ally, was never a good thing.

“You wouldn’t have to,” Kyuhyun called back to Mark, and that probably said more about what they were to each other than anything else.

Being left alone, Mark considered moments later, was worse than having to deal with the riddle that was Kyuhyun. And the last thing he wanted to do was be alone with only his thoughts for company.

Mark crossed the large living space to his bedroom and opened the door. The bedroom looked like it could fit half a dozen people easily, and the bed was bigger than the one that had been in his parent’s bedroom. He’d be so lonely in it. And honestly, Mark was starting to dread the loneliness more than anything else.

“Here, mom, dad,” Mark said almost absently, setting the porcelain box atop the dresser near the sunblocked window. He fussed with the box for a second trying to position it perfectly, and then gave a nod of satisfaction. 

In the corner of the room, laid out on the settee, were the few possessions he owned, even less than he’d thought. His laptop had survived the destruction, and so had most of his school related items. They were put into place easily, and Mark took care to make sure all of his uniforms were lined up. But then there was nothing left to do.

A look to the clock on the wall told Mark that classes had been over for several hours, and the final meal of the night was probably almost over as well. Curfew would be soon, and then the sun would come up and Mark would have to lay alone in the bed and only have his thoughts for company. 

Those thoughts might drive him crazy he reasoned, especially now that he knew what he did about his parents had done.

Had he been such a fool to believe them? The more he considered it, the stupider he felt. He didn’t know any council families that didn’t explicitly arrange the marriages of all their children. Why had he expected to be different? Because he’d wanted to choose? He’d been a fool, and his parents had lied to him because they’d known how he’d react. 

And … what if that was the reason his father had been pushing them talking about his introduction? What if that was the reason his father had been paying so much attention to it. It was completely possible his father had been preparing to break the news to him, and the truth that with his introduction would come his match as well. 

“Damn,” Mark eased out. Had his family lived, had they not been attacked, he would have been properly introduced. He would have met Zhou Mi under better circumstances, and together they would have spent the next few years getting to know each other, preparing to marry one day. It wouldn’t have made the match itself okay, and no doubt Mark would have fought it initially, but things would have been better. There wouldn’t have been such a string of dishonesty, and he’d have had time to ease into the idea of Zhou Mi being his match.

But if that had happened, there wouldn’t have been other things--Hawthorne for one. It was extremely unlikely his parents would have sent him to Hawthorne. He wouldn’t have gotten to meet all his friends, or experience all the things he had.

Mark liked to think that through the adversity, he’d grown stronger. It was one of the few positive things he could claim. Being on his own at Hawthorne had made him much stronger, but also more bold, independent, and confident. 

But then he thought of the one thing that was better than anything else. The best thing he’d encountered due to the tragedy he’d experienced.

Jackson.

Mark wouldn’t have met Jackson if his life hadn’t been changed irrevocably. He wouldn’t have gotten to kiss him. Jackson would never have come into Mark’s life and they certainly wouldn’t have been boyfriends.

At the thought, Mark’s heart ached, and he had a sudden urge to see Jackson, touch him and talk to him. To reassure himself.

Plus, he had a huge, mostly empty, completely new room. That called for company. And Mark knew just the people to invite over.

“Holy shit! That’s one huge bed!”

Mark laughed as Jackson took a running jump at the bed fifteen minutes later, bringing a much needed ease to Mark’s condition. Mark watched Jackson hit the bed hard, but expertly roll across it, just in time as Jr., Youngjae and BamBam came barreling through the door after him with their own jumps.

“You sure you want us all in here?” JB asked, bring up the rear with Yugyeom. “After what happened last night?”

Mark wasn’t surprised the whole school had found out what had happened. The best thing he could probably do was put on a brave face and keep going. Not fall apart. Not be weak. Or at least pretend like he wasn’t.

“I do,” Mark said, his gaze flicking over to the blue box on the dresser. “I don’t want to be alone, and you guys are my friends. I want you here.”

“This is the best bed in the world!” Jackson declared, sprawling himself out across it, delivering a kick to BamBam and shouting, “Get off my perfect bed.”

“It’s not your bed!” BamBam shouted back, throwing an elbow.

“My boyfriend equals my bed!”

JB asked Mark, “You’re his boyfriend now? Really? He’s not just running his mouth?”

“Really,” Mark confirmed. 

Jackson was his boyfriend. Not Zhou Mi. And if what Kyuhyun said was true, it didn’t matter that he’d been matched years before it came out. He’d dissolve the match the first chance he got, and with any luck, Jackson would never have to know.

“I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into with him,” JB said, Then he added, heading off after the others, “Call me for aspirin when you need it. In fact, put me on speed dial. I can do at least that much for you.”

The rest of the night was spent with Mark able to at least partially forget his troubles. His friends were exceptionally good at distracting him from everything that had happened, and he was particularly taken with the way Jackson would pointedly hold his hand ever few minuets and shoot the others boastful looks. Never had Mark felt like he was someone to be shown off, or someone that could make someone else proud. That had always been Grace, and sometimes even Tammy. But it was nice to be valued. It was nice to see the look in Jackson’s eyes and know it was because of him.

“You’re unbelievable,” JB said with a heavy eye roll after one exceptional look from Jackson, but had to endure his own round of teasing when sleeping arrangements were being worked out and Jr. wanted to sleep next to him.

Mark ended up squeezed onto his bed with Jackson on one side, Jr. on the other, and JB at the far end. Yugyeom was sprawled out on the floor with a mountain of pillows and blankets that were probably better than any mattress pad, and BamBam and Youngjae were in the other room completely, stretched out on the twin sofas.

In the sun protected bedroom, with Jackson’s fingers still threaded with Mark’s, the younger male remarked, “You’re less hot when you’re so worried. You get creases in your forehead. But don’t worry, I’m not completely shallow. You’re really good at making out, so we can just do it with the lights off or something.”

Mark grinned a bit, needing a bit of humor to lift his spirits. “Well, as long as I don’t have to watch you go cross-eyed when we kiss, it’s a fair trade.”

Jackson choked out a snort of sorts, then he was laughing fully, which made Mark chuckle, too. 

“You’re my favorite ever,” Jackson said at a whisper. But then he was quiet for a long time. His fingers traced over the pulse at Mark’s wrist and he asked, “Did you go get business taken care of? Did you … make sure something like that is never going to happen again?”

“I don’t know,” Mark answered honestly. “There’s a lot I can’t say. Council stuff. I’m sorry.”

Jackson gave a grunt. “Were they terrible to deal with? I’ve heard horror stories.”

Mark listened to the even breathing of the other people in the room before giving Jackson’s hand a squeeze and saying, “I had seen them before, but this was my first time having to really deal with them. I think half of them barely remembered I was there, and the other half seemed like they were trying shut me out. It sucked, and I have an unfortunate feeling that they’ll try to do this to me for a long time.”

Jackson, his head sharing a pillow with Mark’s, said softly, “Want me to beat them up for you?”

“I severely doubt you’re capable of that. We’re talking about pureblood vampires, some of which are hundreds of years old.”

Jackson gave a scoff. “Have you seen these guns?”

Mark reminded, “It’s pitch black in here. You know I can’t see you flexing.”

“Ah, but you know I’m flexing, which means you know what my arms look like, and you know they’re awesome.”

God help him, but Mark really did. Jackson had the perfect definition in his arms, all toned muscles and taut skin. They were probably Mark’s favorite part of Jackson.

“Not matter how awesome you claim your arms are, you’re talking about going up against warrior vampires, and a lot of them fought in the old wars. I assume that’s why they’re so …desensitized. I wouldn’t advise it. And I’d actually consider it a favor if you didn’t think about it. I might want to keep you around for a while.”

An unexpected kiss came from Jackson, soft lips brushing against Mark’s. “Just for you, I won’t beat them up. Okay?”

Mark leaned over for another kiss, this one longer. “Thanks. You’re so gracious.”

“Just getting in my charity work for the day.”

“I am going to vomit everywhere,” JB said unexpectedly, and Mark had really thought he was asleep. “If there are any wandering hands, or any tongue for that matter, I will vomit everywhere.”

Jackson blew him a raspberry and Mark laughed into his pillow.

On Monday, without any fanfare, Mark told Zhou Mi firmly, “I understand that my parents arranged for me to be matched to you, probably before I could even walk. And your parents likely did the same. But I’m the head of my family now, and I can’t go through with it. I’m going to end the match when I’m introduced. I just wanted to give you a heads up.”

Kyuhyun had said to talk to Zhou Mi, and Mark doubted this counted, but it was the best he could do at the moment. At least Mark was trying. He could have shut Zhou Mi out completely. Part of him had wanted to.

Zhou Mi, looking more crestfallen than Mark had ever seen before, said, “Wouldn’t you like to give this some thought? We are complimentary. We could be very good together. We could support and protect each other. You could think of it more as a partnership if you wanted to.”

“I don’t even know you,” Mark argued.

“And that,” Zhou Mi returned, “is why a lengthy period of courtship exists after introduction but before marriage. We don’t know each other because we haven’t tried to just yet. But I very much do want to know you, Mark. I want you to consider me and what I can bring to a shared marriage between us.”

How had Grace done this? How had she swallowed down the last of her freedom and smiled at Kyuhyun and said yes. Was it because she had to? Or was it because she had genuine affection for Kyuhyun? Kyuhyun claimed she cared for him, even if it wasn’t love, and she did always look happy when she went to their scheduled meetings. She hadn’t looked as if she were going towards a mere obligation.

If Grace had cared for Kyuhyun, and possibly even looked forward to their match, then Mark knew he could eventually mirror that with Zhou Mi. Except Grace hadn’t had anyone else that she’d felt something for, not like Mark did. There hadn’t been a third wheel to Grace and Kyuhyun’s relationship, unless Siwon counted. And with Mark and Zhou Mi, there was a very obvious third wheel.

Readying himself, Mark said, “I’m not pissed off anymore about this. I’m not angry and thinking irrationally. But us being matched isn’t as simple as you want it to be. There’s someone else to consider. There’s someone who’s special to me, who I have feelings for. And that’s the only thing I can think about. I have feelings for him, and the truth is, Zhou Mi, I don’t have feelings for you. And I can’t force myself to fake it, and I won’t. so I don’t want to hurt you or him.” He’d long since reasoned that he could be upset with Zhou Mi, but also not want to hurt him.

“You are referring to that other boy. The one who is exceptionally inclined to touch you.”

“Jackson,” Mark said, not breaking his gaze with Zhou Mi. “We’re dating right now. I’m telling you that so we’re on even ground and completely honest with each other. I don’t think I have to tell you how important it is that we’re honest with each other from this moment on out. Jackson and I are dating. We started dating before I knew that we’re matched, and we’re still dating now. Nothing is changing between myself and Jackson. I like him. Romantically. I don’t have romantic feelings for you.”

Zhou Mi’s head ducked a bit. “Our match, traditionally as well as expectedly, is one of exclusivity. I have never, not since the moment I was old enough to understand what it meant to be matched, touched another in any way that might be construed as less than proper. I have to assume that your parents did not allow you to date either.”

Mark had kissed people before, but Zhou Mi was right. His parents had forbidden dating. They’d claimed it was because of his age, but now it seemed to be tied to his match. In any case, it didn’t matter.

Mark tried to tell Zhou Mi gently, “There’s something else I need you to understand wholly. This is the most important part. I’m going to be head of my family. Kyuhyun said that means I exercise complete control over my own match. So I’m telling you now, almost two full months before I’m introduced, that I will be ending our match. After I’m introduced, I’m going to end it. Then you’re going to be free to choose whoever you want to be with. I hope you choose to be with someone who you love and who loves you in return. At least someone who can feel something more than brotherly affection for you. Please see this as me giving you your freedom.”

Zhou Mi scoffed, features pinched. “Freedom. You have no concept of what freedom means to me. And you are deluded if you think you’ll find yours in the company of a half blood.”

“None of that matters to me. A half blood is just as worthy as a pureblood. And thinking otherwise is antiquated.” 

“Then,” Zhou Mi poised, “it means nothing to you that your family has kept its blood absolutely pure for over four hundred years? It means nothing to you that preserving your bloodline was your mother’s purpose for marrying your father, and for the match between your sister and Kyuhyun?”

“My parents loved each other,” Mark shot back. He’d seen it every day in every way for fifteen years. “They married each other because they loved each other.”

For the first time, Zhou Mi looked frustrated, “You’re not a child, Mark. Don’t think as one. Your parents grew into their love, as all matches do. Their match was a joining of the fourth and eighth families, and was arranged in their childhood. I have no doubt, from what I witnessed from them, that they loved each other very deeply. But love has never once dictated a match, and it never will.”

Mark pushed his fingers through his bangs. “I’m not saying I’m going to marry Jackson or anything. But I’m going to date him, and I don’t care if he’s a pureblood or not. I also hope my parents would be happier to see me with someone I love, than anyone who can keep the bloodline clean from human corruption.”

“You might find your supposition on that last instance is incorrect.”

Calmly, Mark said, “Zhou Mi, I respect you. I like you. I consider you a friend and I trust you. But I’m not going to stay matched to you.”

“Because of the half-blood.”

“Because,” Mark insisted, “I can’t be with someone I don’t love. And I’m sixteen. What do I know about love. Nothing. I barely know who I am right now. I can’t start to think about loving someone and being with them for the rest of my very long life.”

“You don’t know that you won’t come to love me. Familiarity breeds affection. I would care for you deeply, support you in your every endeavor, be a sounding board to anything you have to say, and most of all, I would keep you and the fourth family safe. That’s my purpose, Mark. Your parents matched us so you could be great, and that I could help you obtain that greatness.”

Mark wanted to hug him. It was an odd impulse, considering Mark wasn’t overly tactile, but he really wanted to. It was likely a response to seeing Zhou Mi so defeated. The taller vampire had never seemed this way before. Not even a little bit. And for all the things about him that annoyed Mark, and the breech of trust, Zhou Mi was honorable, admirable and truly a good person. Zhou Mi deserved better than what Mark could give him.

Mark gave Zhou Mi a long smile, then shook his head. “If we did stay matched, and ended up married, maybe I could come to feel something for you. But that’s a big maybe. What if we court for twenty years and I still don’t feel anything? What if we get married and by year fifty there’s still nothing? Or worse, you feel everything and I feel nothing. That’s an unfair risk for either of us. I can’t commit to you if I don’t know how long, if ever, it will take for that love to come.”

Zhou Mi’s shoulders slumped. “There are very few things in this life worth risking everything on, Mark. Love, I personally believe, is one of them. People fall in love with each other all the time. People fall in love without expecting to. You might find love with me, if you only give it a chance.”

Mark wasn’t willing to hedge his entire future on a maybe.

“I’m sorry,” he said with finality, and his stomach clenched painfully at the look of devastation on Zhou Mi’s face. His expression made Mark feel like dirt. Worse than that, he felt a pang of regret that he couldn’t place the origin of. And for one brief second, he wondered if he’d made the right choice. 

That was Monday.

On Tuesday, or rather Tuesday through Thursday, Mark told Henry firmly, “Stop pushing me at Zhou Mi. I’m going to end my match with him, I’m not interested in him, and you should be thankful I’m even willing to look at your face, let alone speak to you right now. Also, I already have a boyfriend and he’s not a pureblood. Deal with it.” It was a trying process.

The through Thursday aspect applied to the fact that Henry spent all of Tuesday fanning himself like an eighteenth century woman in a bodice too tight, and Wednesday threatening to call Mark’s uncle and have him down to the school to talk some sense into him right away. On Thursday Henry tried giving Mark the silent treatment, to which Mark deliberately sat with Jackson, JB and a cluster of red tie wearing students for both the first and second meals of the day. Henry’s silent treatment ended hours later that night, and the nagging was back. 

The truth was, whether Mark wanted it to be easy to forgive Henry or not, it really was. Henry was his best friend. Henry was the kind of loyal person that was quite rare, and he’d never done something to hurt Mark on purpose before. Neither did Mark think he’d done this on purpose, either. Henry had only been doing what Henry knew how to do best, which was try to protect people he cared about from things that could hurt them. Mark could be angry at him for it, but he couldn’t hate him. And he could forgive him. 

“I’m tired of doing what other people want from me,” Mark said, not giving an inch. “I’m the head of this family now, Henry. I may have gotten here through some awful circumstances, but it doesn’t change what the truth is. So I’m going to have my boyfriend who isn’t a pureblood. And I’m not going to hide that fact from anyone. You can feel free to not like it all you want, and tell uncle if you want. But nothing will change. Do you understand me? Nothing will change.”

Friday was the best, however. On Friday Jackson kissed Mark so hard that Mark felt a twinge of pain across his lips, and told him they were going into town for a proper date the following day. The kiss happened in front of everyone, during their phys ed period, and it swept through the school like wildfire, earning Mark various types of responses. The only response Mark cared about what how tantalizing Jackson felt, and who then proceeded to kiss him publicly at every opportunity. 

It was apparently a scandal, his kissing Jackson, but it also meant that it hadn’t come out to the general public that Zhou Mi was his match. Mark hadn’t known what a significant thing that was until Amber, looking more stern that ever, crossed her arms and said, “Do you have any idea what that sort of thing would do to Zhou Mi’s reputation? What you kissing someone not your match would mean for him?”

Mark really hadn’t. So he’d shook his head in a confused way and protested, “But it’s me doing the kissing, Not Zhou Mi.”

Amber jammed a hard finger into his chest and stated, “You’re the head of your family. Your authority is extensive, and no doubt people would talk behind your back. But they wouldn’t dare say anything publicly, and your reputation wouldn’t be in question. Zhou Mi, however, would be a different story. Henry said you don’t plan to keep your match arrangement. That’s your choice, Mark. But don’t hurt Zhou Mi’s reputation by your current actions. If you do, it won’t just be his family who shuns him after the match is called off.”

“People will treat Zhou Mi badly if I kiss Jackson and it comes out that I’m still matched to Zhou Mi?”

Amber gave as serious nod. “Don’t adverse your match, okay? If you plan to see Jackson, and if you plan to end your match with Zhou Mi, don’t tell anyone anything. The backlash would be bad for Zhou Mi. If you care about him in any way, even a little and in the name of friendship, protect him on this, Mark. Don’t let him suffer because you don’t want to do what your parents ultimately determined was the best course of action. Don’t hurt him because you an’t face your responsibility. 

She turned to leave and Mark actually felt anger. She was telling him, maybe not in so many words, that she was disappointed in him. She was saying she didn’t think he should end his match. She thought he was doing the wrong thing.

And that hurt. Because of all people, he’d thought Amber would be on his side. Sure, she hadn’t had a choice in being matched to Henry, but Henry had gone out of his way to win her over. Henry, Mark knew, had always made it clear to Amber that her feelings came first, and he’d do whatever it was to keep her happy in their match. He’d done his best to afford her at least some choice in what happened between them. Henry had given Amber as much freedom as possible--more than probably should have been possible.

So why was Amber saying Mark didn’t get that same choice? Why didn’t she think he got to choose freedom?

But that probably was the right thing to focus on anyway. His mind was made up. And on at least one front, Amber was right. The least he could do was protect Zhou Mi’s reputation. He didn’t deserve to be treated badly because Mark was ending their match. 

Mark would keep his mouth shut about their match. It wasn’t vampire common knowledge, and Mark was certain that only the council and people directly tied to the council knew about it. None of them would say anything, none of them would gossip. So all Mark had to do was keep quiet for a few more weeks. 

“We just have to tone it down,” Mark told Jackson the next time he saw him, right before they left for their date. “We’re not hiding our relationship, but we’re not flaunting it, either.”

Jackson eyed him. “I can still kiss you?”

Mark nodded. “No lengthy make-outs in public, but yes, we can still kiss. Just for a little bit, okay?”

“Okay,” Jackson said easily enough. “Ready to go?”

Mark scribbled a note to Henry, slipped it under his door, and promptly fled the school feeling like a rebel.

It took fifteen minutes for Jackson to wrangle them up a ride into town, but even less for them to actually get there. 

“My cousin said the humans throw some pretty wicked parties here in town,” Mark said, all but pulling Jackson forward as he took in the sights and sounds around him. The entire town was lit up like a Christmas tree, bright and sparkling against the night sky, filled to capacity with actual residents and about half of the school’s population. Mark couldn’t blame any of the students for wanting to leave campus during their free days.

“Totally,” Jackson agreed, giving Mark a rare, genuine smile that made Mark’s knees knock together for a second. “Especially the further we get into the school year. Classes get harder, tests get more frequent, and the students need some stress relief. Parties are the way to go.”

They got steamed pork buns from a local vendor, and with their fingers never losing grip of each other, Mark said, “I was raised near a town like this. With humans and vampires mixing together so easily. It was all I knew for a really long time. My uncle hated every second that he had to come near the town, and he absolutely had to pass through to get to my parent’s house. He said it was filthy, the way the vampires mixed with the humans, but it was perfect to me.”

Jackson stuffed too much of his food into his mouth, chewed exaggeratedly and made Mark laugh before asking, “Your uncle really hates humans, doesn’t he?”

“And mixed bloods,” Mark said with a sigh. “But mostly humans. His wife, my aunt, was killed by humans a while ago. Everyone says it was an accident, but my uncle never believed it was. He’d always hated humans before that, but losing her really pushed him over the deep end. He’s going to freak out when Henry eventually tells him I’m dating you.” The fact that Henry hadn’t told him yet, or let anyone else for that matter, was certainly earning him bonus points in the cousin department. “He might even show up to confront you. You might want to be prepared for that. He’ll no doubt come with a lecture about blood purity and knowing one’s rightful place.”

Jackson asked curiously, “Will he take his white glove off after that and smack me across the cheek with it? Will there be a pistol duel?”

“You jest,” Mark laughed, “but Henry’s about to settle down and become a boring adult. I’m the only one he has left to hover around protectively. He might actually challenge you to a duel in hopes of winning and getting you to back off. He’s old fashioned like that. I shouldn’t have to tell you, but he was terribly upset when duels went out of fashion in the twentieth century.”

“Hey.” Jackson wiggled his eyebrows and leveled an arm up, flexing his muscles. “Remember these guns? Here, let me move more into the light so you can see properly. I don’t want you to miss a second of these bad boys. If he challenges, I’m so ready.”

Mark laughed against and broke off a piece of his bun, popping it in his mouth. “I’m half a second away from swooning. I swear.”

“I’ll catch you,” Jackson promised. “Sweep you right off your feet.”

Mark rolled his eyes. “Come on. I think I hear music.”

The music turned out to be some street performers that had drawn an impressive crowd. Mark instantly recognized a couple of the men performing an intricate dance to a music track as some of the people he’d seen in the dance class the one time he’d gone. There were no acrobatics this time, but the synchronization was impressive to say the least.

“Oh, shit,” Jackson said as a small group approached the performers. “Things are about to get real.”

“Huh? Why?”

Mark looked between the two groups. The second he didn’t recognize anyone from.

“Watch this,” Jackson prodded, pushing at the crowd to get Mark and himself closer to the front. He let his arms slip around Mark’s waist and hold him tight, his chin on Mark’s shoulder.

The fight that Mark had almost expected turned out to be a dance battle. The first group, made up of Key and his four friends, apparently had a friendly rivalry going on with the newly arrived group of five.

“What kind of stage name is G-Dragon?” Mark asked, only to be hushed by Jackson.

Watching the two groups gave Mark a real thirst to get back to the dance studio and relieve some stress again. Or just have fun. Especially if he could learn some of the moves he’d just seen.

Hours later, after more steamed pork buns, a trip down the bustling main street was had. Mark listened to the vendors shout themselves hoarse to make a sale and tagged along happily as Jackson inspected caps, haggled over silver trinkets, and finally held a beaded necklace up to Mark.

“This one,” Jackson decided. 

“Really?” Mark asked. The beads were black and not inexpensive, decidedly masculine in nature, and the more Mark thought about them, something he liked. “You sure?”

Jackson was so sure he bought the beads and then lifted them over Mark’s head, remarking, “You’re my boyfriend now, Mark. Okay? That means you have to look cool at all times. This is a nice start.”

Mark gave him a push. “Are you trying to say that I don’t always look cool?”

“Chocolate!” Jackson said, cutting away from the topic to pull Mark towards a different vendor.

They ate squares of dark chocolate against the backdrop of a star filled sky with just enough privacy to make them bold enough to steal kisses hidden in the dark. When Mark kissed Jackson he tasted the sweetness of the chocolate and thought if ever there was a moment to go diabetic, this was it.

Then finally, sadly, it was time to head back to the school. The sun was due to rise in only a few hours and Mark had no doubt his cousin was waiting up for him, a lecture ready to go. 

“We’ll come back next week,” Jackson promised, cutting down a side street with his pinky linked through Mark’s. “And next time, I’ll take you to this really cool--”

Mark had only a split second’s warning before Jackson was barreling into him, throwing the both of them off balance. Mark smashed heavily to the ground, his skin scraping against the concrete harshly. Jackson was heavy against him and Mark wondered for a moment if Jackson had merely tripped.

And then Mark saw the bolt gleaming from where it protruded from Jackson’s back, coated in blood, too close to Jackson’s heart.

Something whistled through the air and Mark turned them both violently to the side, dropping Jackson to the ground fully and springing up to his feet. A second bolt, the kind made of reinforced steel and made to pack a punch, smashed into the ground where they’ been.

He could smell them. Three of them, human, and in various locations. Two ahead of him, one behind, and novices if they’d missed hitting him with the second shot, after Jackson intercepted the first.

“Mark,” Jackson moaned out from the ground. He was hurt, badly, but Mark knew enough to determine that it wasn’t a fatal wound he’d incurred. At least not if they got help right away. Jackson was losing blood fast, but the bolt hadn’t hit anything vital.

“Come out now!” Mark snapped, feeling the predator in him uncoil. His fangs dropped almost immediately, his senses picking up, and his body tensing for a fight. It was an instinctive reaction, one he’d never had before, but it was something that felt natural, and so was the violent urge bubbling up in him to attack.

“Little vampire,” a voice called from the darkness, settling around Mark ominously. “Can you come out and play?”

Mark saw the first one shortly after that, bolt-action crossbow in hand, aiming once more at Jackson, this time for a killing blow.

With a feral roar, and seeing red, Mark pounced, sweeping around him like a deadly waltz, his fangs ripping through the man’s throat effortlessly. He was stronger than the human, even if he was inexperienced, and he was much, much faster.

Something painful clipped Mark’s arm, and spun him partially off balance, but he had too much momentum by then, and he couldn’t be stopped. It was too easy to spot the second human, dash to his side and then something in Mark was taking over, forcing his hands to the man’s neck, and twisting until the bones snapped. 

The third man tried to run, even as blood dripped its way down Mark’s arm. The man tried to run and Mark caught him easily, toying with him for a second, making him beg for his life, before ending it ruthlessly.

“Mark!” Jackson called out, but Mark couldn’t stop. He couldn’t get his breathing under control or his heart to stop pounding. He couldn’t stop being so angry. Angry at the humans who’d dared attack him again, who’d hurt Jackson and tried to kill him. Angry at the humans who killed is family, who dared torment him, and who were so brazen and so bold that they thought they could get away with it. Those inferior creatures.

And wasn’t it laughable that three of them had thought they’d be a match for him? Mark could take on double that amount, triple even, and not break a sweat. The humans had no idea what he was capable of, or what was inside him.

But they’d certainly know now.

“Hey!” Jackson grabbed Mark’s face sharply, fingernails digging into the soft skin there. “Get control of the beast!”

He couldn’t. He couldn’t even begin to. The anger was too much. The furry …

“I mean it!” Jackson slapped the side of Mark’s cheek none too gently. “Pull it together.”

Slowly, very slowly, Mark let rationale and civility seep back into his bones. But it was a fight to get it there. The rage didn’t want to leave. The rage fought against being pushed down, and the rage was easier than the calm. But he had to. He had to for Jackson who was bleeding and hurting and in need of help.

“Jackson,” he said, no more than a minute later, reaching a shaking hand out to inspect the wound on Jackson’s chest.

“I need,” Jackson said, voice strained as sweat collected on his forehead, “a doctor. Help me?”

“Jackson,” Mark whispered, looking around at the three dead men around him. He’d killed them. He was responsible for snatching their lives from them in an instance, and it had been so easy to lose control.

“Doctor,” Jackson said again, swaying on his feet, and Mark didn’t now how he’d gotten there in the first place.

Mark barely remembered anything at all. Except for the feelings. He remembered the feeling of breaking a neck, ripping through soft tissue to get to a still beating heart, and now he knew what I felt like to hold a man as he died. The feelings were still so strong.

“I killed …”

Jackson gave a low grunt and then passed out.

Mark caught him awkwardly, his own injuries flaring up, and then the world around them that had seemingly ground to a halt, caught up in a whirlwind of noise and light.

Shouting for help, desperately trying to field Jackson’s weight without causing him any harm, Mark found he couldn’t look away from the bodies. This was the first time he’d taken a life, and even if it had been in self defense, it terrified him that he was capable of such brutality. Vampire or not, his self control … apparently was non existent, when pushed to extremes. 

“Help!” he shouted again and again, mortified at his own aggression, and sickened by the ease in which he’d given into bloodlust.

He hadn’t just killed three men in the heat of the moment, he’d loved every second of it.

For the first time ever, Mark was glad his parents were dead. He was relieved they weren’t there to see his actions, to know his shame, and to feel it themselves. And that was more painful than anything else.


	10. Ten

“Well, this is certainly not where I thought I’d find you.”

Mark looked up from the rippling water in front of him to find Amber coming slowly up on him, her shoes clacking against the wood of the pier Mark was seated at the end of.

“No?” Mark brought his attention back to the water and the spot where his toes connected with the chilly lake, sloshing the liquid around as he kicked aimlessly. He guessed he really didn’t know why of all the places he could have gone, he’d chosen to run to the spot where he’d almost drowned. But he’d come here all the same, and sat on the edge of the dock, and waited in silence for Zhou Mi to finally drift away and give him his space.

Naturally, Mark had to assume that Zhou Mi was still out there, watching his every move. Zhou Mi was more of a bodyguard now than anything else, and he was especially tense with all the things that had happened recently.

He was a good man so Mark was determined not to fight him on his protectiveness, and it showed that Zhou Mi knew him well that he was willing to back off and give him space to think and grieve and breathe and deal.

“No,” Amber confirmed, sitting next to him gracefully. It took her a second to get her own shoes off, but then she was sitting shoulder to shoulder with him, her feet in the water too. “Henry’s camped out at the hospital in town. He’s convinced you’re going to show up eventually. Honestly, I would have put my money with you being there.” She added more quietly, “We were worried when the sun came up and no one could find you.”

Mark’s fingers scratched idly across the wood. “I wasn’t alone. I was with Zhou Mi.”

Mark felt like such a hypocrite. He’d spent so much time working up the courage to tell Zhou Mi that there was nothing between them. And then he’d gone and hurt the man further by declaring Jackson as the object of his affection. Zhou Mi had taken it in stride, that was the kind of person he was, but Mark had known from the start that he was twisting a knife into the heart of someone who was loyal and kind.

He was a hypocrite because the second Mark had gotten Jackson to the hospital, Jackson’s blood cold on Mark’s skin as it dried and cracked, there’d been only one place Mark thought he could go to feel safe. He’d run straight to Zhou Mi and been sheltered without a necessary explanation.

“That’s good,” Amber said cautiously. “But the rest of us were still very worried. Next time have Zhou Mi let someone know he’s got you. Henry’s almost got a bald spot, you know. You’re making his hair fall out.”

“Okay,” Mark mumbled. He couldn’t tell her that he hadn’t let anyone know where he was because he was ashamed. He was ashamed of how he’d acted, what he’d felt, and then how he’d crumpled so easily afterwards. 

He’d spent almost the whole of the day after Jackson’s admittance to the hospital huddled under a blanket, shaking and freezing cold, only tempered by Zhou Mi who rubbed his back and mumbled to him in Chinese.

Mark didn’t speak a single word of Chinese, but the inflection in the words, the tone to Zhou Mi’s voice, and the universally understood meaning behind the action, made a difference.

When he’d gotten up the next night, still feeling as if he didn’t know who he was anymore, he’d meant to ask Zhou Mi not to tell anyone about his breakdown.

But before he could, it was Zhou Mi who’d said, “I will always be by your side when you need me. I will always keep your secrets. You never have to worry that others will know or see things you don’t want them to. I’m your shield, Mark.”

Mark had always known that Zhou Mi was his ally before that moment. He’d always known he was trustworthy and a friend. But in that moment, Mark could see quite certainly what Zhou Mi had been talking about when Mark had crushed his hopes over their match. They could have been a good match. They could been partners and companions and exactly what Mark’s parents had intended them to be.

It was scary to think that maybe they had picked Zhou Mi for him with the utmost care. They’d picked someone they knew wouldn’t be over zealous or overbearing. They’d seen in Zhou Mi that he was quiet and careful and kind. They’d known Mark would need someone who could support him, but never try to control him. It was possible Mark hadn’t given his parents enough credit. Zhou Mi was exceptional. Zhou Mi was the kind of compatible match that put an emphasis on friendship and companionship, and less on the things that Mark was more frightened of. 

At least one part of Mark, a part that he was pushing down frantically, knew that Zhou Mi was right. They could be good together. And there was a very real possibility that Zhou Mi was someone Mark could fall in love with.

“Where’d you think I’d be?” Mark asked Amber, feet stilling, feeling the chill of the water all the way up through his body.

Promptly, Amber said, “The hospital, of course.”

Mark felt a sudden sting to his eyes. “Why would you think that? How could you think that?”

“Because,” Amber drawled out, “if my boyfriend were in the hospital, I’d be there sitting with him, showing him he was important to me. If Henry were in that kid Jackson’s place, I’d be by his side.”

Mark kept quiet. She couldn’t understand.

“So why are you here instead of there? You defied a lot to get that boyfriend. Why not be there for him?”

Mark cut his eyes towards her. “You don’t want me dating Jackson. Don’t pretend like you want me anywhere near him.”

“I never said that,” she replied quickly.

Mark shrugged. “You never had to. That speech about not hurting Zhou Mi said enough. You implied I was wrong for not wanting the match. You seemed disappointed.”

Amber was still for a moment, liking thinking his words over. Maybe she was putting together another lecture. Amber rarely, absolutely rarely lectured. But when she did ,she knew how to cut right into someone’s heart with her words.

But then Amber’s head was tipping to rest on Mark’s shoulder. “I want you to be happy, Mark. That’s my first priority, no matter what you may think. You’ve always been more like a kid brother to me, than the cousin of the person I love. But sometimes being in a position of power like you are, means sacrificing personal happiness for something much more important.”

“So you’d be satisfied if I just rolled over and accepted Zhou Mi?”

“Henry would,” she chuckled. “But honestly Mark, I think you and Zhou Mi would be great together. He’s everything I’d ever want for you. I have a feeling that deep down inside you, in that place you don’t want to let see the light of day, you know that you and Zhou Mi are a very good match. You’re very complimentary.”

She was right. He knew she was right, and he hated it.

“Zhou Mi would make the fourth family strong in ways you can’t begin to understand just yet. He’s by far the best prospect for you now that Grace is gone, and Tammy and your mother for that matter. That’s what this is ultimately about.” Amber’s head lifted from his shoulder and she grimaced at him. “This isn’t about Henry trying to deny you your right to choose, or Zhou Mi asking you to sacrifice the little freedom you have. This is about your family--our family. This is about keeping the fourth family afloat, and Zhou Mi more than does that. You know how stretched thin the fourth is right now. You having any kind of relationship with Jackson, puts incredible strain on the stability of the fourth family.”

Mark frowned. “I’m trying not to be selfish, Amber. I’m trying so hard. I’m trying to make good choices and have selfless actions. But it’s not easy. It sucks, let me tell you, to go from only having to worry about yourself, to having to consider a lot of other people. And this, this matter with Zhou Mi, it’s the one thing I can’t make myself be selfless about. I just can’t.” glanced at her. “But you would be selfless, wouldn’t you?”

“What do you mean?”

Mark mumbled, “If you were me, you wouldn’t even have considered Jackson, would you have? You’d have taken finding out about Zhou Mi in stride, and you’d be fully prepared to get married to him and spend the rest of your life with him.”

Amber gave a deep laugh. “I’m not that selfless, Mark.”

“But you would,” he pointed out.

And eventually, she nodded. “I would marry Zhou Mi if I were you, Mark. At least that’s what I think. I’d take one of the team, so to say, especially with how weak the fourth family is right now. But you can’t really take what I’m saying to mean anything that should reflect on your own choices.”

“Why not?”

Amber bumped him with her shoulder. “Because I don’t know what you feel when you look at Jackson. I don’t know what you’re feeing in your gut or your head or your heart. I only know what you look like when you talk about him. And I’ve seen the two of you together a few times.”

Mark forced a smile. “I look like a dork, right?” He always felt like one around Jackson. He felt like he was falling over himself to say the right things and be someone that Jackson would be interested in. Jackson made him feel wonderful most of the time, but there were also moments of unease. Mark didn’t always feel confident or sure around Jackson.

“You look,” Amber corrected, “happy.”

“Happy,” Mark parroted.

“Happy,” Amber said with a nod. “And didn’t I tell you that’s the most important thing to me with you? I don’t want to see you unhappy Mark, because you have to sacrifice something of yourself to keep this family strong. I don’t want you to have to make that choice. So maybe I have to say that I think you should choose Zhou Mi and let go of Jackson. I have to because I’m going to marry into your family very shortly and this family is supposed to be my one and only priority. But if we’re being completely honest with each other right here and now, I kind of like it when you thumb your nose at the system. I like that you’re so different, Mark, and headstrong and determined.”

Mark deadpanned, “You like that I give Henry supposed ulcers?”

“No,” Amber said quietly. “I like that you know what makes you happy and go after it. I was worried, after the fire, that you wouldn’t be able to be happy again, or not for a long time. But you found something--someone. You found Jackson, and when I see the two of you together, you are happy. You’re happy with him, Mark. I couldn’t ask for anymore.”

“He does,” Mark said slowly, nodding. “He makes me happy, Amber. He makes me forget that my parents are dead. He makes it easier when I remember. He makes it not hurt as much.”

In the darkness of the night, the moon nothing but a sliver in the sky, the water looked black in front of him. Like a black pit he could just slink into and use to fade away from the world completely.

“Mark?”

“Hm?”

Amber told him, “Go see your boyfriend at the hospital. Stop worrying about what other people will think, or who will see, or even if it’s scary. Just got see him and be there with him.”

“I can’t,” he said finally, having to practically choke out the words. “Amber.”

“Can’t go see your boyfriend?” She gave him a look of disbelief. 

Mark leaned forward. “By now his parents are there. They were on opposite ends of the world when we were attacked, but they’ve got to be by his side now. They hardly see him once in a year. They deserve to be with him without me hovering around, reminding them that it’s my fault. I know he’s going to be okay. He’s going to live and recover and be fine, but how can I go there knowing I’m responsible for putting him in the hospital in the first place?”

“Hey.” Amber griped his shoulder tightly and said snappishly, “You did not get that kid put into the hospital. You know exactly who’s responsible for his injury and it isn’t you. Don’t guilt yourself into feeling that way. The humans are responsible, not you.”

Mark sighed. “Then the humans finally started claiming responsibility? They’re finally fessing up?”

“No,” Amber said surprisingly, kicking water up at him. “Oddly enough, they’re still denying all involvement. Even the more radical sects of our favorite anti-vampire groups are swearing up and down it wasn’t them. I’d have thought at least one of them would want the credit of attacking a prince.” Amber scoffed. “It’s more than obvious they’re just trying to save face. Maybe trying to throw us off. And admitting anything anyway would be beyond detrimental to the peace accords. They want a war with us, but they want it on their own terms, and at the most opportune moment for them.”

“They’re saying it’s not them?” Mark’s eyes widened in disbelief. 

Nodding, Amber replied, “Almost insistently the humans are saying it wasn’t them. But we know it was. At least the main suspect is the Humans First group. In terms of radicalism, they’re at the top of the list, and they’ve been involved before with vampire hate crimes. They’ve never been linked directly to anything involving the council or its members, but it’s only a matter of time. If it wasn’t the HF group, I’ll eat my shoe.”

The Humans First group scared Mark to death. They were, at least to the best of his knowledge, an underground terrorist group with one goal in mind. They existed in order to perpetrate the extinction of all vampires. They showed no mercy when they did attack vampires, and they’d just as soon murder a child as a grown adult. Mark had heard whisperings from his parents about them. Most human anti-vampire groups couldn’t be taken seriously. The HF were.

Amber continued on, “Your boyfriend, Mark, nearly had his heart pierced with an iron arrow from a bolt-action crossbow. That’s a signature trademark if I’ve ever seen one, and the HF are known for emulating the vampire hunters from hundreds of years ago. Anyone else would have attacked with guns or something of that sort--something modern at least. These humans that hurt Jackson and tried to kill you, they might as well have announced they were HF with their weapons.”

Mark asked, “Then why bothered to deny it? Why be so blatant about it and then not admit to it? That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Don’t know.” Amber leaned back on her hands, head tipped up towards the sky. “But you can’t beat yourself up over this. Your boyfriend might not be a pureblood, but he knows what it means to be associated with us. We’re dangerous, both in what we’re capable of, and the targets we can become. He didn’t start dating you thinking that it would be completely safe. And there’s no way he didn’t know that as a prince, you’d have a constant target on your back. I guarantee you that he knew. So stop thinking that this came out of nowhere for him, or that it was unexpected.”

Mark clenched his eyes closed and recalled the entire event. “He pushed me out of the way. I can’t say for sure, but I think the humans were after me and Jackson just got in the way. I don’t think he was the target, it must have been me. Jackson just reacted.”

Whistling, Amber said, “That’s impressive. For a vampire with mixed blood. The human blood dilutes the senses. If he was able to get you out of the way of an arrow going that fast, he’s sharper than average.”

“He took the hit meant for me,” Mark shuddered. “He put himself in harms way to protect me.”

“A hit that would have killed you, but only injured him,” Amber reminded. “I call that a win, considering I hear he’s going to be up on his feet in a week and recovered completely in twice that time. He’s going to be fine, and deep down, you know it’s not your fault he got hurt in the first place. So what I really want to know is why you’re sitting out here, rocking the teenage angst like a pro, when you could be making out with him and pissing your uncle off.”

“He’s here?” Mark inquired with a wince.

“Of course he is,” Amber laughed out. “He’s a hard guy to get to know, but he really loves you, Mark. Anyway, he came with a council representative. Some guy who’s related to Zhou Mi? I’m not sure. But he has to get your statement before the council can do anything.”

“My statement,” Mark said. 

“Before,” Amber said, “when the humans moved against you, it was never when you were there. This time it’s different. The council can’t ignore it now, I just don’t know what they plan to do.”

“What can they do?” Mark questioned. “Not much I’m betting. Not much without upsetting the vampire and human peace treaty.”

Amber told him reassuringly, “Your uncle will make sure something is done. You know he won’t stop until something is.”

It seemed like Mark’s uncle had to come out to the school all the time. It left Mark feeling like he was nothing but trouble. 

“Amber,” Mark hedged carefully, turning to look at her. She was acting like she was perfectly fine, but he could tell there was an odd tint to her skin. And back when Mark had gone to seen the council, she’d been uneasy on her feet, nauseous and somewhat unwell. Was she coming down with something? If she was getting sick with something, it had to be more than the common cold. She needed to be resting right now, not traipsing out after him to talk him down from his self deprecating thoughts. 

“Yeah?”

Mark drew his legs up out of the water and crossed them. He took a deep breath, then said, “I killed three men.” Their lives were like blights against his soul, and now he felt unclean. The kind of unclean that a shower couldn’t get rid of. He’d run out the hot water in the entire boy’s dorm, and turned his skin red and irritated trying.

Immediately Amber corrected, “You kill three humans who were threatening to kill you with their actions. That’s called self defense and you’re fully entitled to that. You killed to defend yourself and to defend someone you care about. That’s nothing to be proud of, but that’s also nothing to be ashamed of. Do you understand that?”

Would the council feel the same way? Would the human government that the council was supposed to work with, feel that way too? Or was what had happened, essentially an act of war?

Mark shuddered to think he was going to be responsible for a second vampire and human conflict. 

His mouth felt so dry, and Mark would have killed for something to drink as he said nervously, “I lost control.”

“Of the beast?”

The beast was what most vampires affectionately, or less so in many cases, referred to as their natural instinct to act out in violent, often dangerous ways. Over the centuries vampire kind had gone genteel for the most part, at least the purebloods who led and set the example, but the beast was always there. The beast was incurable and Mark had felt his own for the first time.

“Yes.” He clenched down on shaking hands. “They hurt Jackson and I knew they were going to kill the both of us. I lost control and I killed them before I even realized what was happening. Amber, when the beast came out, when I lost myself, I killed those men and I enjoyed it. I really enjoyed it. That’s the worst part. Maybe I could deal better with this if it had just made me sick, but I enjoyed it so much. It felt right. It felt good.”

Amber laid back on the dock, her hands resting across her stomach as her feet kicked in the water. “Did I ever tell you about my first time?”

“No?” Mark hedged. He didn’t think so.

Amber said, “I was fourteen when I lost control for the first time. I hurt one of my best friends. She was the only human friend I had, fully human at least, and I took pride in that. I liked her for her humanity, and she liked me for my lack of it. We were opposites in a way, but we truly had a great friendship. We were glued to each other’s sides for years, even.”

“But then something happened?” Mark interjected.

“It was just a second,” Amber elaborated. “There we were, on the street, the weather was really bad--storming, and a driver lost control of his car. He almost plowed into us, and it wasn’t on purpose. But Sarah screamed, and I panicked and the beast in me just exploded. I scared Sarah, but I did worse to the driver, and I liked it. It felt good too, Mark. I acted like an animal, the kind of thing that human parents tell their children to be very afraid of, and to this day I’ve never been more ashamed of anything. Ever.”

Mark wasn’t sure how to respond. It sort of felt like the same thing, but not quite. He appreciated Amber trying to help, but the guilt was still so overwhelming in his chest. 

Amber said, “I scared her and her family so badly that they wanted to take the matters to the council. My mom barely talked them down, and to this day I think money exchanged hands. My point is, you’re crazy if you think you’re the only one to lose control. It happens, especially when we’re young and just big bags of hormones. It sucks, trust me, I really know it sucks, but it happens. It’s not our fault the first couple times. It’s all instinctual, Mark. It’s what we do afterward to get and maintain control, that matters.”

“Do you think it happened to Henry?”

“Of course,” Amber replied easily. “Everyone, Mark. It happens to everyone. You’ll spend your life fighting against your more primitive instincts to become a beast, but you’re not incapable of keeping control of yourself. We’re better than our instincts, Mark. And we get better at being better the older we get.”

Mark laid down next to her. “I don’t want Jackson to hate me.” Maybe that was what he was really scared about.

“Why would he hate you?”

Mark traced the constellations above him. He could pick out a few. 

Amber asked, “You think he’ll be scared of you after seeing what you can do? A pureblood vampire losing control is much different than a mixed blood.”

“No. Yes. Maybe.” Mark shrugged. “I’m scared to find out.”

“Oh.” Amber rolled to her side. “Being scared is okay, you know. People expect you to act like an adult, but you’re still just a kid in a lot of ways. You don’t always have to act like you’re forty, even if people want you to.”

“But I’m tired of being scared,” Mark sighed out.

“Then get up and be courageous instead.” Amber stood a little shakily as if to show him how easy it was, and when she wavered for a second Mark was there to steady her, demanding to know if she was okay. “I’m fine,” she laughed off. “Just vertigo for a second.”

Unable to contain his concern any longer, Mark demanded, “Are you sick? Tell me the truth. You look pale and you’re uneasy on your feet and Henry’s been hovering around you extra lately.”

Amber looped her arm through Mark’s and started them down the dock towards firm ground. She told him, “I’m absolutely fine. I promise you. I picked up a bug from one of the hundreds of girls I share a building with, but I’ll get over it. Don’t worry about me.”

How could he not? If Henry was like his brother, she was like his sister. All those adventures he and Henry had gone on as children, and things they had gotten into had always been punctuated by Amber who was the best lookout ever, and knew all the best fibs to tell their parents. She’d always been there with him and Mark had never once known her to pick up something so trivial as a bug. Even if she hadn’t been a vampire, it would have been uncharacteristic. 

“Amber …”

“Go see your boyfriend,” she prompted. “I don’t know what kind of guy he is, but if he has any sense at all, he won’t blame you for this. And he won’t be scared of you. At the very least, you deserve to hear his reaction in person, and not passed along by someone else.”

“I don’t …”

“He took an arrow for you,” Amber reminded. “Go see him. Tell him thank you.”

“Okay,” Mark said eventually.

Amber caught his arm, truly looking serious for the first time. “But speak to the guy from the council first. Get that out of the way. Get the testimony done and then all you’ll have to concentrate on is Jackson.”

Mark took a deep breath. “You know where this guy is?”

Amber nodded. 

He ended up finding the vampire sent from the council in one of the quieter lounge areas located in the main building. Classes were currently in session so Mark was able to slip into the area easily and without having to deal with anyone wanting to stop and talk to him.

“Ah,” the vampire said when Mark was in view. He got up to shake Mark’s hand promptly, but also bowed deeply and greeted, “I’m very pleased to get to meet you, Prince Mark. Of course I certainly wish it was under better circumstances.”

Mark’s eyebrows went high. Younger vampires were adorable, much like human babies who used their overly large heads and eyes as natural, biological defense mechanisms to make themselves seem harmless. And older vampires, anywhere from Henry’s age to much, much older, could look handsome and distinguished, but always alluring.

But this vampire? The vampire who was bowing again as if Mark deserved a second round of adoration. This vampire was utterly gorgeous, and most certainly the most beautiful male vampire Mark had ever seen.

“You’re related to Zhou Mi?” Mark asked as they took their seats, Mark folding a leg underneath himself as he sunk into the comfortable lounge chair.

“I am,” the other vampire said brightly, and he was a little to perky for Mark’s tastes. “I’m Lu Han.” He didn’t look a bit like Zhou Mi who was tall and dark and very masculine in his handsomeness. “Zhou Mi is my nephew.”

“Nephew?” Mark startled. 

Lu Han held up two fingers. “Twice removed.” He laughed out, “I don’t look old enough to be an uncle, right?”

“No,” Mark said quietly. “At least not one who’s twice removed.”

Lu Han didn’t look offended in the least bit and he said, “Prince Mark, you should know as well as anyone else that vampires rarely look their age, especially purebloods. I’m almost eighty, but you’d never be able to tell unless I told you.”

Eighty. No, Mark certainly didn’t think Lu Han looked almost eighty. 

“How about we get the messy stuff out of the way first,” Lu Han said, reaching to the side for a briefcase that he put on his knees and opened. From it he withdrew a small recording device and a pad of paper. “My official title, not that I’d expect you to know this in the least bit, is senior apprentice to the council clerk. I’m currently training for the position and have been for almost forty years.”

“What does the council clerk do?” Mark inquired. These were the moments when he thought his ignorance showed most strongly. Grace would have known. So would Tammy. But Mark was lost.

“A little bit of everything,” Lu Han said, setting the brief case aside when he’d produced a pen from it. “The clerk records council proceedings, safeguards its information, and makes it available to the right parties at the appropriate time. In this case, I’m here to record your testimony as to what happened when you were recently accosted by three humans. I’ll take your words directly to the council and relay them in their entirety, without error.”

Mark nodded to the handheld recorder. “So you’re the vampire version of that.”

“Sort of,” Lu Han allowed. “But anyone can listen to what’s recorded on a tape. The council clerk protects sensitive information more selectively.”

There was a stab of anger in Mark’s mind. Where had Lu Han and the council clerk been when information had leaked about where the council meeting was taking place? Who hadn’t safeguarded the information tightly enough? Was Lu Han the one responsible for the leak, or his master?

Mark questioned, “How much do you want me to say?”

Lu Han, with his slightly rounded, soft brown eyes, smiled encouragingly at Mark. “As far back as you find relevant, Prince Mark.” Lu Han leaned forward a little, caught the light, and everything about him looked twice as beautiful as it had before. Ethereal. That was how Mark wanted to describe Lu Han.

There was more deception in beauty than any other thing, Mark believed. And no doubt Lu Han was far more savvy that he was allowing Mark to believe. 

Mark recounted his story slowly and deliberately. He took time and care to make sure the story came out as accurately as possible. He talked about going into town, seeing the street performers, and even the chocolate that he and Jackson had eaten. He let the words flow out of him how Jackson had taken the shot surely meant for him, and how he’d smelled the humans before he’d lost control. He talked for half an hour, including every small detail he could think that might be important, and then finally said, “I screamed for help. Someone called for an ambulance, it came and took Jackson away.”

Lu Han scribbled on the pad of paper endlessly while Mark spoke, hand never stilling or tiring. And when Mark was finished, slumping back into his seat, Lu Han tilted the pad ever so slightly and Mark could see impressively gorgeous cursive. 

“Is that it?” Mark asked when the recording device was switched off.

Lu Han reached for the briefcase once more. “Almost. I promise. But there is a bit more.” 

Mark frowned. “Like what? That’s everything that happened.”

“Not about that, Prince Mark,” Lu Han said easily, waving a hand .”Your introduction is in seven weeks now, correct?” Mark gave a silent nod and Lu Han continued. “As such, and being that you stand to inherit quite a bit, I have for you paperwork about such things.”

Mark sunk a little deeper into his chair. “Paperwork.”

Lu Han held up a thumb sized flash drive. “Upon your introduction, you will be considered an adult. That means, with the passing of your parents an elder siblings, all financial accounts, property holdings, and business acquisitions belong to you. This flash drive will hold all of those records. I imagine you’ll want to look them over when you have the time and become acquainted with them.”

Oh, god, Mark realized, Lu Han was there just as much to talk business, as the human issue.

Lu Han gave a serious look. “The council is required to keep very accurate and close watch over all of the families’ properties and monetary worth.” He passed the flash drive to Mark. “Encompassed here is the entirety of your family’s worth, as understood by the council. I should remind you that attempting to withhold any financial information, or not disclosing anything of the related nature, will be met with swift action.”

“I’m not …” Mark’s head was spinning. “I don’t know anything about this. I don’t know anything about business in general.”

Lu Han’s head cocked. “Of course you’re not expected to be able to handle all of this on your own just yet. But it’s never too early to acquaint yourself with your family’s wealth.”

Something glinted in Lu Han’s eyes and Mark looked down at the flash drive. When he plugged it into his laptop he wondered how much he’d really see on it. He knew his family was wealthy. Very wealthy. His mother had been a very conscientious business woman. She’d invested heavily in multiple properties, and had undertaken business adventures that had netted the family huge profits. Not to mention all the old money that had come from both Mark’s fraternal and maternal grandparents parents. Mark had always known that it wasn’t normal, or at least average, to have half a dozen vacation houses scattered around the globe. And most people couldn’t have the kind of lavish birthday parties that Mark and his siblings were accustomed to.

But how much was the family really worth? And who was currently keeping an eye on the money?

“Is any of this in my name?” Mark asked Lu Han, thinking of the huge automobile collection that had survived the fire, and the art collection that his mother had spent decades compiling pieces for. Not to mention the dozens of companies his parents owned and managed.

Not all vampires were as active as Mark’s parents had been. And few of them were ambitious enough to navigate the twenty-first century world of business. But Mark had loved that his parents weren’t content to sit on the money their parents had accumulated over the centuries. Mark had loved that his parents had known the proper way to serve and receive afternoon tea, as well as how to crush the stock market.

“Your uncle’s, I might assume,” Lu Han said, but he didn’t look certain. “But only as a temporary holder. In a few weeks there’ll be a transfer from his name to yours, and you’ll have more money and wealth than you know what to do with.”

“That’s not something particularly valuable to me,” Mark said honestly, but it wasn’t lost on him the flicker of envy across Lu Han’s face. Money was, Mark inferred, something important to Lu Han. And that mean most likely Lu Han was the kind of vampire who could be bought or paid off. Immediately Lu Han felt even less trustworthy. 

“Be that as it may,” Lu Han told him, “in a few weeks time, you’ll become one of the most wealthy vampires in existence. I encourage you to review the information on the flash drive carefully, and then appoint someone to oversee your assets--perhaps someone with experience.”

Mark nodded and placed the flash drive in his pocket.

“Then,” Lu Han announced with a flourish, “there’s just one last thing I need to discuss with you.”

One more thing, Mark told himself. And then he could go see Jackson at the hospital.

“What is it?”

Lu Han shifted even closer, and when Mark leaned forward as well, the other vampire said, “Each of the thirteen families that comprise the council are required to have both a representative at hand, as well as a supplementary. You must be aware of this.”

Mark was starting to understand insults from Lu Han when they came. And the cheerfulness was most certainly just a front. 

“Heads of families and heirs,” Mark said almost tersely. “What about it?”

Lu Han gave Mark the first disapproving look of the session. “The fourth family has been put in a very precarious situation. As of right now, it has no head, and its heir is caught between the two positions.”

Mark said dryly, “I’ll be the head of my family in seven weeks. You’re saying I need an heir.”

“Yes,” Lu Han said simply. “Not right now, of course. Council tradition stipulates that a newly appointed head of family may have up to six months to make a definitive and very important decision such as this, when there is no direct heir for consideration. In seven weeks, you’ll have an additional six months. But I’ve been asked, on behalf of the other twelve families, to instill upon you the importance of such a task. Were you, for instance, to have an heir in mind when you ascend to the head of your family, it might strengthen the position of the fourth family, and therefore, the other twelve as well.”

Mark imagined himself leaning forward and asking Lu Han if he was anyone’s errand boy specifically. Or maybe he just wanted to wipe the impossibly fake grin from Lu Han’s face as soon as possible.

But instead he grit his teeth and said diplomatically, “I’ll take that under advisement. I’m sure the council is aware that not only do I not have a direct heir, but I also have a lot of extended family to consider.”

And wouldn’t it be better if the council wasn’t so sure who he was going to pick? Mark’s choice, if possible, was most certainly going to be Henry. But Mark was quickly understanding the power of knowledge, or of withholding it.

Lu Han stood, then bowed deeply to Mark. “Then,” he said, “I believe our official business is concluded. I have it on good authority that the human police are investigating this matter of their own accord. You may be expected to give them a statement as well. The council will act independently of that human task force. We expect to resolve this matter long before they do.”

Mark breathed a deep sigh of relief. “Good.” He got to his own feet, and was ready to dash for the exit when he heard Lu Han speak again.

The other vampire said, “On a more personal note, Prince Mark, I have an inquiry I would ask you to fill.”

“A question?”

Lu Han nodded. “A personal one, not at all affiliated with the council.”

Mark gestured for him to continue.

Something changed almost immediately on Lu Han’s face. He went from being a gorgeous, almost manipulatively beautiful man, to a cunning predator. The shift was so swift and unexpected that Mark felt off center.

“What,” Lu Han asked, eyes narrowing, “is it about my nephew that you find so displeasing?”

Mark choked out, “What?”

“It must be something,” Lu Han cut back. “You must find something about him displeasing. Is it his appearance? Most find Zhou Mi to be at least mildly attractive. Is it his demeanor? His personality? His height?”

“Height!” Mark demanded, baffled.

Not at all pleasant, Lu Han insisted, “I assumed there was a possibility of it being something so trivial, as nothing else can surely be the case. Zhou Mi is the absolute best the thirteenth family has to offer, born and bred to stand at the side of someone such as yourself, Prince Mark. So I ask that you tell me what you find so displeasing about him, so it can be corrected and we can all move on from your recent dalliance.”

“Listen here,” Mark said, fingers twisting into fists as he fought to keep control on his anger. “Don’t think just because you’re speaking nicely that I can’t understand your tone and meaning. There is nothing wrong with Zhou Mi. I don’t find him displeasing. So I don’t know what your problem is.”

Lu Han lifted his briefcase and held his chin high. “My problem, Prince Mark, is that despite being betrothed to my very exceptional nephew, you find it necessary to engage in lewd and lascivious behavior with a half-blood.”

Mark sputtered, “Lewd and lascivious! Jackson is my boyfriend. I can hold his hand and kiss him if I want to.”

“Despite,” Lu Han pointed out, “having been pledged to my nephew?”

Mark shot back, “My parents did that, not me.”

“Are you not honor bound to fulfill the wishes of your parents?”

It was official. Mark hated Lu Han. He hated everything about him.

“I think you’re out of line,” Mark shot at him. “What goes on between myself and Zhou Mi, is none of your business, whether you’re family or not.”

The air was tense and heavy between them, and people were beginning to fill up the area surrounding them, passing from one class to another as one period ended and the next began.

Lu Han held his brief case a bit tighter, shoulders tightening up. “Imagine, if you will, that my family was thrilled to be brought into the fold of the fourth so many years ago when this match was first arranged. It was exciting, I must admit. And such a disappointment now. Worse than that, this is a slight, and in particular, my family has an extensive memory.” Lu Han bowed one more. “The council looks forward to your next available attendance. So I take my leave.”

Mark watched him saunter off with light,t easy steps, leaving a wake of wide eyed and smitten teenage vampire students.

A gentle hand touched Mark’s sleeve and he startled, at least until he saw that it was Min standing near him. It was hard getting used to seeing her in the usual Hawthorne uniform, but as usual, her presence was a claming one.

“Are you okay?” she asked, mouth set down in concern. “You look upset.”

Mark leaned into her touch just the slightest, and said, “I’m fine.”

She didn’t look convinced. “Who was that vampire? The one that you looked like you wanted to make look a lot less pretty that he currently is.”

Mark told her in a punitive voice, “That’s the senior apprentice to the council clerk, Lu Han. Of the thirteenth family. A pompous, rude jerk who doesn’t like me and I’m sure wants to make me look less nice, too.”

Min elbowed him. “Well, don’t sweat him.” Her easy going nature was quickly eating away any of the anger Mark had felt. “So, you going to class now? Want to get something to eat later on?”

“Rain check?” Mark asked, giving her a much more real and decidedly bigger smile. 

She shrugged. “Sure.”

With a wave to her, Mark set off toward the building’s main doors, determined to get a ride directly into town. He’d put off seeing Jackson long enough. It was time to face down his fears and do his part as a supportive boyfriend. But mostly he just missed Jackson and couldn’t wait to see him. He was craving the sound of Jackson’s voice, and the warmth of his body. 

It was the kind of craving that reaffirmed for Mark that everything he felt for Jackson was real and worth the struggle to have. It was conformation, more than anything else, and Mark was so very, very thankful for it.


	11. Eleven

“You need a ride?” Zhou Mi asked as Mark made his way through the school’s parking lot. There were two lots on campus, both of them small, but considering how few students and faculty actually owned cars, Mark had never seen the limited capacity as an issue. 

“I don’t know whether to be worried or not,” Mark said, taking in the sight of Zhou Mi leaning up against a black Mercedes. 

“Worried?” Zhou Mi asked with a tentative smile.

“Worried,” Mark said with a nod. “Because I’m really starting to get used to you popping up all over the place.”

Zhou Mi pulled away from the car and opened the passenger side door. “Am I crowding you?”

“No.” Mark couldn’t say that Zhou Mi was. Maybe in the beginning it had been uncomfortable the way Zhou Mi had acted like a shadow, but they had a better sense of personal space now, and Zhou Mi was certainly getting better in determining when Mark needed him, and when he didn’t. “Who’s car is this?”

“Yours,” Zhou Mi said, gesturing for Mark to get in. “Technically speaking, at least. It belongs to your family--one of a couple hundred I’m going to guess. Your uncle brought it up from the house in San Diego where he was attending to business at. He dropped it off for you. I assume it’s his way of thinking that you’ll find it a distraction from yet another attack you’ve had to endure.”

Mark approached the car and couldn’t help being impressed. It was probably only a year or two old, still in pristine condition, and very, very pretty. Mark had been looking forward to getting his driver’s license before the fire, but it hadn’t been on his mind since then. And even before then his parents hadn’t dropped any hints that he’d be getting a car for his birthday.

“I don’t need a distraction,” Mark told Zhou Mi, sliding into the car and shivering at bit as he felt the brush of the taller vampire’s hand against the back of his neck. “I don’t want to be this stupid little boy who’s distracted by shinny things.”

He watched Zhou Mi round the car and then slide into the driver’s seat. Zhou Mi turned to him then, his finger hovering over the ignition button, and said, “I have never thought you were one to be distracted, plied with shiny things, or easily manipulated.”

Mark felt his mouth pull into a smile. “Thanks.” He was surprised by how much Zhou Mi’s words meant to him.

The car rumbled to life quietly and smoothly when Zhou Mi pushed the button to start it. Then he asked Mark, “To the hospital?”

“I’m going to go see Jackson,” Mark said slowly, trying to gauge the reaction on Zhou Mi’s face. He didn’t want to fight with Zhou Mi anymore over Jackson. His stance wasn’t changing, and it didn’t matter how many of Zhou Mi’s family members showed up to try and berate him. 

“To the hospital then,” Zhou Mi said simply, and eased them out of the parking lot.

Mark waited for more, surely there had to be more, but Zhou Mi kept his eyes locked to the road and Mark soon came to grips with the steady silence between them.

It took ten minutes to get into town, and another ten to reach the hospital through the congested traffic. Zhou Mi pulled them expertly into the passenger drop off zone, and then asked Mark, “Do you want me to pick you back up? You can call when you’re ready.”

“You don’t have to wait on me like that,” Mark mumbled, feeling as if he were putting Zhou Mi out. “You’re not my butler or driver or anything like that.”

“No,” Zhou Mi agreed. “I’m your match. Regardless of your intentions towards our pairing, it stands at the moment. And that means I’m here for you, however you need me.” Zhou Mi gave him a soft smile. “I have some business in town to take care of. It wouldn’t be a bother for me to come back and pick you up. There are only a couple of hours before sunrise, and I know you plan on going to your classes tomorrow, no matter how much I think that is a poor idea.”

Mark put a hand on the door latch. “I have to go to class. I have to have something that’s normal and not terrible.” Mark returned Zhou Mi’s smile. “Though my literature class is kind of horrible. Hemmingway is dry and boring. At my old school, we did a whole semester on Oscar Wilde, who let me tell you, is infinitely more interesting.”

Zhou Mi offered, “Hawthorne offers a class on Emily Dickenson. I took it several years ago and found it to be enlightening. Maybe you should consider that next semester.”

“Wouldn’t I be the only boy in there?” Mark asked, and it dawned on him what an easy conversation they were having, without any pressure or expectations, and without the sinking feeling in Mark’s stomach that he usually got when having to deal with the person people expected him to marry.

“Hardly,” Zhou Mi promised. “You might be surprised how many young men take that course each semester … though admittedly it might have something to do with the very attractive and eligible vampire who teaches it each semester.” The smile on Zhou Mi’s face only grew wider. “Think about it. Now, about the ride?”

Mark popped open the door and climbed out, only ducking back down to tell Zhou Mi, “I’m probably going to have to face down Henry or my uncle or the both of them. You don’t want to come back to that mess. I’ll see you at school tomorrow, okay?”

“Take care,” Zhou Mi called after him, making Mark hesitate to shut the door. “Stick close to your family.”

Mark gave a firm nod. Then he turned on heel and headed up into the hospital.

In full stealth mode Mark stalked the halls, tracking down Jackson’s room while doing his best to not be seen by anyone who might recognize him. His uncle was completely missing from the halls of the vampire ward, but twice Mark spied Henry. Once his cousin was at a vending machine, loading up on something with excess sugar, and then again when Mark had to dart past him at the nurse’s station to pinpoint exactly which room Jackson was in.

It wasn’t that Mark didn’t want to speak to Henry, but it certainly wasn’t going to be fun when it did happen, and Mark wanted to put it off for just a little bit.

By the time Mark slunk his way past Henry, and the entire nursing staff, Jackson’s private room was remarkably free from anyone else. Jackson was tapping frantically on his phone when Mark came into the room slowly, filled with hesitation and apprehension.

Jackson took one look at him a second later and said, “You need to leave now.”

Mark felt his stomach fall out from under him. “Leave?”

Jackson nodded. “And don’t come back until you’re wearing a sexy nurse outfit. It’s almost time for my sponge bath.”

Mark hit him unkindly on the leg and snapped, “You scared the crap out of me!”

“Why?” Jackson laughed, leaning over for a decent kiss. “I’m serious. I saved your life. I deserve to see your awesome legs in a tiny little skirt. Then I’ll knock something over and you can bend down and--OW!!”

Mark hit him once more. “You’re supposed to be injured. Can’t you just lay there and be quiet while you recover?”

Jackson slipped a little down his bed and said, “But really, about that sponge bath?”

“I’ll think about it,” Mark teased, heaving himself up on the hospital bed when Jackson gingerly scooted over. “I guess it depends on whether you can behave or not.”

Mark honestly expected a witty comeback of some kind, or a racy comment. What he didn’t expect was for Jackson to put his head on Mark’s shoulder, twine their fingers, and ask quietly, “Are you okay?”

Mark looked instinctively to where their fingers were interlocked, noting Jackson’s healthy skin tone and his own that was still reddened and ugly from his brush with the sun what seemed like so long ago. For the most part he’d fully recovered, but his skin was taking a while to go back to its normal shade. “Yeah. Why?”

“Because some guys just tried to kill us,” Jackson said seriously. “And because you don’t look fine. You look like you’re barely holding it together.”

Mark felt like that all the time, but it was a burden he didn’t want to put on Jackson’s shoulders. His own could bear the weight for a while more.

“I’m not the one who took an arrow to the chest,” Mark reminded. 

Jackson boasted, “Like a total boss. Come on, admit it. I get total brownie points for it. I get extra boyfriend points. Admit it. Say it.”

Mark settled more fully against Jackson, being sure not to put any pressure on his freshly wrapped and sealed wound. “Okay, okay. Boyfriend points.”

“And brownie points,” Jackson insisted. “Those too.”

Feeling Jackson next to him, able to count his breaths and heart beats, Mark felt blessed. “And brownie points too.” Incredibly blessed.

Quietly, and in such a comforting way that Mark could have cried, Jackson said, “I’m okay, Mark. I’m okay and so are you. Together, we’re going to be okay.”

Voice muffled a little, Mark choked out, “This is my fault. You got hurt because of me. Those humans hurt you trying to get to me.”

“Please,” Jackson said and Mark could practically imaging him rolling his eyes. “There’s no guarantee of that. Some humans are just douche bags. I mean, some vampires are too, but there’s a very real possibility that these guys were just aiming at you by chance. If I’d been walking ahead of you, maybe they would have shot at me first. Who knows. But I’m not stupid, Mark. I know what it means to be around you. I know there are plenty of humans gunning for you just because you’re you. But I’m not scared, either. And I won’t be run off. I’m strong and I’m capable and I think this proves that I’m serious about how I feel about you.”

Mark squeezed his eyes close and pressed a kiss to the side of Jackson’s jaw. “Don’t say stuff like that. I’m supposed to be mad you threw yourself in front of me. But you’re making yourself seem very charming and wonderful.”

“That’s because I am,” Jackson said swiftly.

Mark couldn’t deny it.

Mark stayed with Jackson as long as he dared, with the minutes flying by too quickly and sunrise too close. 

When he finally made his presence know to Henry, who was occupying a seat in the nearby waiting room, he was completely thrown by the way his cousin wrapped him up in thin but strong arms, one hand cradling the back of his head intimately while he babbled into Mark’s shoulder about how sorry he was and how much loved Mark.

“Henry,” Mark said softly, his own arms hugging around his cousin’s waist. “It’s okay.”

For nearly five minutes his cousin couldn’t be dissuaded, dragging his fingers through Mark’s hair, touching him everywhere as if to reassure himself, and apologizing again and again.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Mark told him firmly.

“If anything had happened to you,” Henry choked out, his tears having since dried up, but the hitching of his breath still present, “I would die.”

“Don’t you ever say that,” Mark chided. “Not to me. Not after what I’ve lost.”

A little afterwards Mark was able to drag Henry away from the hospital. Apparently Mark’s uncle had already left, pulled away by something urgent, and with Jackson deep asleep, there was little left to keep Mark at the hospital. 

Mark would visit again, but he’d already promised Jackson he’d go back to his dorm and rest, which is what he planned to do.

Henry drove them in his car, the one that Mark had ridden in only once since the start of the semester. It was the same car that Henry had showed off to him the night of the fire and Mark remembered laying on the hood under the night sky, having no idea his life had just changed in an irreparable way. Henry kept the car at school, in the student parking lot, but hardly ever drove it. The low mileage on the car confirmed its lack of use.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Henry demanded, driving with one hand. He stretched his other hand out to Mark’s form. “A doctor checked you over, right?”

Mark leaned against the car’s glass window. “I barely had a scratch on me.” He’d needed stitches on his arm from the bolt wound, but only a half dozen, and it had taken less than a hour.

With a burst of anger, Henry demanded, “Where were the damn guards my father was supposed to have following you around? They were supposed to shadow you everywhere and protect you! And where the fuck was Zhou Mi?”

Mark cut Henry a dark look. “It’s not his job to keep me alive. I know we trust him to have my back, but it’s not his responsibility. Don’t blame him. I think I’ve proven now that I can take care of myself, or at least hold my own. I’m capable.”

Two calming breaths later, Henry relented, “I know you are. But Mark, you can’t be alone right now. Shit like this happens.”

The vulgarity coming from his cousin only highlighted how upset he was. 

“Where’s uncle? What kind of business did he have to leave so suddenly for?”

Henry flipped his turn signal on, changed lanes, then answered, “He’s on his way back to the council--at least to speak with the more senior members. He’ll be back soon enough, but you know my father. He’ll argue until he’s blue in the face, or until someone is willing to listen to him. But it’s important that my father goes to represent you to the council right now. He’ll keep the peace, as unlikely as it seems.”

Mark froze at the mention of the council. “Henry,” he said shakily, “am I … in trouble? With them? I killed three men.” He’d given his statement to Lu Han, who’s job dictated he take the first hand account directly back to the council, but there’d been no mention of punishment. Human police couldn’t touch him, at least not directly, but the council could choose to exercise some form of punishment if they wanted--even against one of their own.

Henry snapped, “You killed three members of Humans First, who’s sole intent was to wipe out this family’s last standing heir. You did what you had to. In fact, you did less damage than anyone else would have. There won’t be an inquiry. Father and the council will placate the humans, maybe even make them feel responsible, and this whole matter will go away.”

“But …” Mark pursed his lips. “Isn’t this the last thing the council wanted? Humans and vampires attacking each other?”

“Mark.” Henry glanced away from the road, a somber look on his face. “Things have escalated. Your attack wasn’t the only one that happened last night. There was another. The head of the third family was attacked around the same time you were. He died, along with half of his security force. Thankfully his heir is more than old enough to take his place, but the council is … scrambling. I guess that’s the best way to say it. They’re scrambling.”

“What’s going to happen?” Mark dared to ask. There’d been no hint of this when he’d spoken to Lu Han. Mark hadn’t known. 

“Prince Kyuhyun is gaining his seat on the council officially next week, right?” 

Mark nodded. “At the end of the week.”

The car blew past the other people on the road as Henry took them straight to the school, and to a place where Mark thought he could defend himself properly at. He’d barricade himself in his room until he got his bearings and figured out what to do. At least until he was sure he wouldn’t lose control of the beast again.

Henry told Mark, “Prince Taekwoon of the third family will have his ascension at the same time.”

“Taekwoon?” Mark asked. He couldn’t remember what the heir to the third family looked like. “What’s he like?”

Henry thought for a minute, then said, “He’s quiet. Very quiet. But he’s honorable, too. He’s not someone likely to wade knee deep into politics like some of the other heads and heirs. He won’t give the fourth family any trouble. But Prince Taekwoon isn’t the important thing I need to tell you.” Henry gave Mark an odd look. “In light of recent attacks, and with Kyuhyun and Taekwoon becoming the heads of their respective families, your introduction has been moved up to the week after that.”

“What?” Mark demanded. Introductions were typically done between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, when a vampire reached maturity in their society and started to be considered an adult. Mark’s introduction had been scheduled for seven weeks from now, and though Mark had known that he was under pressure to move from the position of heir to head of family, there was a reason that introductions weren’t rushed. Moving it to such a soon date was confounding. “But I’m not ready!”

“You have to be,” Henry shot back. “You can’t vote on a single matter concerning the treaty, or anything else even half as important, until you’re considered officially the head of your family and introduced. And neither can my father cast that kind of vote on your behalf. It has to be you, and you have to be an adult when it happens. Maybe the council could have waited seven more weeks if these attacks hadn’t continued to get progressively more lethal, but there’s no more time, Mark. The head of the third family is dead--and that’s no easy thing to accomplish for anyone attempting. You were attacked and almost killed too. That means the fourth, third, sixth and ninth families have all suffered a recent, major upheaval. That’s … very, very bad, Mark.”

“The vote?” Mark prompted, sucking in air through his teeth sharply. “I thought I had so much more time to think it over.”

Henry shook his head. “It’s hard to kill a vampire, Mark. Harder to kill a pureblood. But the humans who are attacking us have managed it time and time again. There is no more waiting to vote. Something has to be decided either way.”

Mark exploded, “I haven’t even started to consider what could happen no matter how I vote.” He tried desperately to catch his breath as he rattled out, “I thought the council was just now reorganizing itself for a vote on whether or not to have the vote! How can we be having the actual vote? How can I be expected to vote so soon! I’m an uninformed voter!”

“Mark.” Henry wrapped is fingers around Mark’s wrist. “There’s no time to contemplate whether or not a vote should happen. It has to now. The council’s hands are tied. Our people are scared. The council’s job is to protect all vampires, and that means protecting them first and foremost from the human threat. So either the vote passes and we strike back at the humans, or it fails and we scramble to figure out how we can defend ourselves without being aggressors. That’s the reality of what’s going on right now.”

“This is just so sudden,” Mark said, head thumping back against the head rest. “I’m not ready.”

Softly, Henry said, “I think the council, or at least a majority of its members, are worried that if they wait any longer they’ll continue to dwindle in numbers. The fifth and tenth families have heirs who are much younger than you, Mark. They would never be ready to inherit quickly, and that’s the kind of instability the council can’t weather.” Henry let go of Mark’s wrist. “The council is agitated. That’s what my father said. They’re starting to realize what he’s been telling them for years, and that’s why he’s gone to speak with them. He hopes to sway some of them on this vote.”

At those words, Mark looked to Henry and asked him seriously, “Then you think the vote is going to pass? You think the council will vote to amend the treaty, therefore voiding it?”

Henry shrugged. “I don’t know how you’ll vote, but I do know how a lot of the council seats will. It’ll be close, but I think the vote is going to pass. I think we can’t keep taking these hits, and the council doesn’t know how to deal with the situations with the limitations it has now. Our people are just as angry as they are scared, and when vampires get angry, I don’t need to tell you the things they’re willing to agree to. So yes, I think it’s going to pass. I think the other council members will vote to end the treaty as we know it. Too many of them have been personally hurt by the humans lately, to vote any other way in my book.”

At a near whisper, Mark said, “That’ll mean war.”

Henry gave him a look of true remorse. “The last thing I want is war. And despite what my father feels, I don’t share his hatred for the humans. Not even towards the ones who killed my mother. But what if we do nothing? Will I continue to lose people I love? What if it’s you or Amber who are the next casualties? That’s the scarier idea to me. Not by much, but it is. So if the council agrees on an act of war, I’ll support it.”

Mark ran a heavy hand over his face. The vote. It was happening and he had a few short weeks to be ready to not only have his introduction, but cast what might end up being the most important vote from the council in several hundred years. Henry claimed he was ready to support a war, but Mark doubted he truly understood what that meant. A whole generation or more of vampires might be wiped out if the humans and the vampires went to war. And no matter what, Henry was going to lose people he cared about.

Feeling depressed, Mark mumbled, “My dad was going to plan my introduction. My mom didn’t have time with her duties, but my dad was really excited. My mom got to do my sisters’, and I was going to be his first chance to live up to my mom’s example. He was going to walk me through it step by step.”

The school came into view and with the sun was pink against the sky behind it, sunrise promising to be less than a half hour away.

“My father will take care of everything,” Henry promised. “He pulled my introduction off without a flaw. He knows what he’s doing. So you just relax and let him do all the planning.”

It wasn’t going to be the same. 

Henry, though very reluctantly, let Mark head to his new room without personally escorting him there. Zhou Mi was waiting for him there when Mark arrived, looking as if he had something to say, which Mark was not ready for.

“Please,” Mark said the second he saw Zhou Mi, feeling exhausted, “I just got back from the hospital. I can’t deal with our problems right now, I can barely deal with my own. I just want to sleep.”

Quietly, mindful of the time, Zhou Mi nodded and said, “I’m only here to stand guard. The lesser vampires your uncle assigned to watch over you, the ones that have been missing since your attack, were found dead twenty minutes ago. You may not care for our match in the slightest, but for the moment it remains, and I will continue to respect it. Until you wake, I will stand here and watch for threats.”

“Zhou Mi,” Mark said, pausing as he pushed open his dorm door. “I …”

“Sleep well,” Zhou Mi said, giving Mark a way out.

It made Mark feel so horrible as a person.

“I’m sorry,” Mark blurted out, his fingers still gripping his door handle. “For being such a jerk to you. I know you’re only doing what you’re supposed to, and I’m the one acting like a child over here. I’ve been avoiding you and in a lot of ways, I’ve been cruel to you. I’m sorry for that. Truly sorry.”

The tension in Zhou Mi’s shoulders lessened just slightly. “I will respect your decision about our match, but you should be aware, when my aunt arranged it with your mother, I was pleased. I continued to be pleased after meeting you, and seeing what a kind soul you have. Regardless of what comes of our relationship in the future, I want you to be happy and healthy. I’ll do what it takes to achieve and keep that.”

Zhou Mi was … a spectacular human being.

Mark tossed him a wide smile. “Look, it’s stupid for you to be out here in the hallway. Not when I have this huge room and I plan to sleep for a really long time, maybe even until my uncle stops hyperventilating about humans, which as you know, might take years to decades. So you should come in, relax, and when I wake up, keep me company.”

Reluctantly, Zhou Mi said, “I might be better served--”

“I picked up some books the last time I was a the library. On Buddhism, Eastern philosophy, and Confucius. Does that tempt you even a little? Despite the fact that you’ve probably already read these books that I am purposely not naming to draw you into my room?”

Zhou Mi asked, eyes crinkling a little in a smile, “You did?”

Mark shrugged, wanting to cheer victory as Zhou Mi followed him into the room. “My life is kind of hectic right now. Stressful. You said Confucius helps calm you down. I decided to give it a shot.”

“Any success?”

Mark offered a laugh. “I haven’t had time to read anything that isn’t for school. But I’ll let you know when I do.” He offered Zhou Mi one last wave, then ducked into his bedroom.

He fell face first onto his bed, toed off his shoes and was out before Zhou Mi cracked the first book.

Zhou Mi was still there when Mark woke, stumbling his way out of his bedroom. He tangled his feet mere inches from the sofa, collapsing onto it with a groan. 

“Did you sleep well?” Zhou Mi asked with a grin.

Mark made an alien sound.

Zhou Mi righted him on the sofa, got him settled and then said, “Your uncle will want to speak to you at your earliest convenience. He expects to be back in the area within a night or two, but if he isn’t, he’s asked me to tell you a phone call will suffice.”

Henry asked flatly, “Did he really put it that way?”

“No,” Zhou Mi replied, his smile only growing larger. “He’s quite agitated. Your cousin and Lady Amber have gone missing and he was very upset I wouldn’t let him wake you earlier.”

This forced Mark into a bit more awareness. “Henry and Amber are missing?” The absolute worst ran through his mind, starting with kidnapping and ending with something much worse. “Why didn’t you wake me! Why didn’t--”

“Calm down,” Zhou Mi said, two hands going to Mark’s shoulders. “Henry told me he was leaving. He will be back, and long before Prince Kyuhyun’s ceremony. He did not, however, tell your uncle where he was going or that he was taking Amber with him. You know your uncle doesn’t like not knowing things.”

Suspiciously, Mark stated, “But you know.”

“I do.”

Asking would be pointless, so Mark settled for inquiring, “Are Henry and Amber okay? I don’t think they’d just take off in the middle of the day if it could be avoided.” 

Zhou Mi traveled into the small kitchen in the dorm and retrieved an iron tablet for Mark. He mixed it into a glass of water and handed it to Mark saying, “They left not too long ago, with the setting sun. They’ll be gone a few days, but suffice to say, your uncle is less than pleased that for once, your cousin is making his own decisions.”

Mark drank down the glass quickly, saying, “Uncle can be overbearing at best. I love him, but he’s a complete control freak. It used to drive my dad crazy. Well, everything about my uncle drove my dad crazy.”

Zhou Mi asked curiously, “They did not like each other?”

“You didn’t hear the rumors?” Mark asked flatly. “They were at each other’s throats literally, at least twice a year.”

“By the time I was old enough to hear rumors,” Zhou Mi pointed out, “I was also old enough to know you were my intended match. Therefore, out of respect for your family which would become my family one day, I chose not to listen to idle gossip.”

That kind of sensitivity and consideration was something that only made Zhou Mi seem more endearing as a friend, or as something more.

“Why did your uncle dislike your father so much?” Zhou Mi asked, but not at all like he’d be upset if Mark didn’t want to tell him.

“My dad,” Mark said, finding it less burdensome to talk about his family as more time progressed, “was matched to my mom when they were both young--even young by vampire standards. My mom was about a decade older than my dad, so when she was a little girl, he was just a baby. My dad was from the eight family, the same as Amber, and at the time, the eighth family owed the fourth family a life debt. They wanted to square it away, and both families has something to bring to the table, so they were matched.”

Mark wondered if the subject of matches should have been awkward to speak to Zhou Mi about. But it didn’t feel that way, and Zhou Mi was feeling more and more comfortable to be around every day that passed. 

“My parents spent every summer together,” Mark continued. “That’s uncommon. Most matched vampires, at least to my knowledge, have a couple of supervised visit’s a year once they hit puberty, and then attend social events together until they’re introduced and declared adults. But my mom and dad, no matter the ten year difference, were together every summer. She had her introduction, and she still spent her summers with him. Then he had his introduction, and by then, they had pretty strong feelings for each other.”

“They loved each other,“ Zhou Mi inferred. 

“Maybe from the start,” Mark said happily. “It wasn’t something they learned over time. It was something they each felt almost from the start. And when they courted for the next twenty years, everyone knew and could tell what a good match they were. Sometimes I look at Amber and Henry and see how happy they are, and that’s what I imagine my parents were like at their age.”

Zhou Mi prompted, “It’s a very nice story, but it doesn’t explain why your uncle was so hostile to your father.”

Mark replied, “My uncle and mom were twins. That’s very, very rare. Vampires have enough trouble having one baby at a time. But my mom and uncle were twins--fraternal at that. That’s special, and while my mom found it fascinating, I’ve always been under the impression that my uncle found it more.”

“More?”

Mark had a wince a little. “My uncle was always territorial with my mom. He felt like she was his, in a lot of ways. His other half, his best friend, his everything. He didn’t like that she gave away her heart to my dad. He never said it, but it was obvious. He hated my dad because he felt like my dad was taking my mom away from him. Before my dad, my mom had loved my uncle the most. That wasn’t the case by the time my parents were getting married and then having kids.”

“They were only siblings.”

“It’s probably something we can’t understand,” Mark pointed out. “Neither of us has a twin. Vampires who are twins, those that share the same womb, have a connection that others can’t relate to. It could have just be jealousy my uncle felt towards my father, but over time it became animosity. I loved my dad very much, and I love my uncle too. I never tried to pry too deeply into the complex relationship the two of them had with my mom, but it was always tense when the three of them were around each other. No one was ever happy completely.”

“You may have a point,” Zhou Mi conceded.

Mark dragged hid fingers through the short strands of his hair and said finally, “But I did hear the rumors, you know. The especially scandalous ones. I heard them a couple times, no matter how much my parents, and uncle, for that matter, tried to shield me from them. I heard what the other vampires said about my uncle having too much of a vested interest in my mom--an unnatural one. And if there was any validity to that, I could understand why my dad really disliked my uncle. But I don’t know for sure. I don’t know anything because no one ever said anything to me. It’s not my business in the first place. But yeah, I know the rumors you probably heard, and I know personally how much they upset my mother who loved my uncle very much, but hated the way people talked about him.”

Zhou Mi watched him silently for a minute, and Mark was half frightened he was passing some kind of judgment. Second and third cousins married each other all the time, it was socially acceptable, and even a few vampires skirted propriety by marrying their first cousins. But relationships between siblings were taboo, and Mark hated that his family had been targeted by that kind of rumor. 

“Your father,” Zhou Mi told Mark carefully, and speaking words that Mark hadn’t at all expected, “was my distant cousin.”

Mark startled, head cocking. “My father is tied to your bloodline? To the thirteenth?”

Zhou Mi nodded. “Most vampires are linked to a good number, if not all of the thirteen families at this point. There are so few of us left, intermarriage has produced these results. But I don’t want you to think that you are absolutely alone. You are the last of your mother’s line. You are her last hope, but you have other family. You will always have me and many others.”

It was probably the most undignified thing Zhou Mi had ever done, visibly startling the way he did, but Mark threw himself at Zhou Mi and forced the elder vampire to hug him tightly. Not being alone … it was something invaluable to Mark.

“They moved up my introduction,” Mark said, trying to get his face to cool from the heavy blush he’d endured moments earlier. “It’s right after Kyuhyun’s ceremony.”

“I will be your escort,” Zhou Mi said, quickly adding, “until such time that you dissolve our match, I am still bound to you. You are required to have an escort for your introduction, and it will be expected that your match fulfills the role.” Zhou Mi nudged him just in the slightest. “Try not to look so dismayed. It simply means I’ll walk with you in he beginning, stand by your side during the proceedings, dance with you afterwards, and fend off any other possible suitors.”

Mark groaned and flopped a little on the sofa. “I wish everyone would just lay off about the subjected. I’m not even sixteen yet. I want to date and have fun. I don’t want to be matched or get married.”

“You’ll be sixteen in less than two months,” Zhou Mi pointed out.

Mark scowled at him.

Voice thin, Zhou Mi said, “Our numbers are growing perilously thin, Mark.” Mark swore he saw actual fear on Zhou Mi’s face as he said, “There are thirteen families of pureblood royalty, and many others of pure to mixed heritage, but our numbers are not what they were at our peek. We’ve mixed too well into the human population, died off in human conflicts, and grown weary over the passage of time. You are aware that we may live for a very long time, but we are not all suited for such a thing. There are less than a million of us, Mark, compared to the billions of humans on this planet, and that number will only continue to shrink over time. We are a dying breed-- an endangered one. Do not fault the people around you for being concerned over such a thing, and for wanting to prolong our species through arranged marriages.”

Mark rolled to his side, his head propped up on the armrest. “I know. I just--” Mark broke off and huffed once more.

“I have something else to discuss with you,” Zhou Mi said, holding Mark’s attention. “My business in town, when you went to the hospital, was directly related to the deaths of your guards. Your uncle had seven men shadowing you at all times, and all seven of them were silenced without anyone the wiser until it was too late and you were under attack. While I have no doubt your uncle will replace these men, and double their quantity, I’ve taken the liberty of procuring for you the first of your personal guard.”

Mark deadpanned. “My personal guard?”

“All heads of families have them,” Zhou Mi pointed out. “I want yours to be comprised of vampires who will give their lives to save yours without hesitation, especially since I won’t be there to watch your back myself.”

There was a numbness to Mark’s body as he understood what Zhou Mi was saying. “You won’t …” he tried to get out smoothly. “You won’t be around after I dissolve our match, will you?”

Curtly, Zhou Mi said, “I’ll almost immediately be recalled to my family’s main residence. But I want you to know that in my stead, you’ll have two dependable, worth vampires to protect you. Hoya and Dongwoo were very happy to be put to the task.”

What would a life without Zhou Mi look like? Mark realized he’d gotten so used to having the vampire around it was a cold concept to face.

“Hoya and Dongwoo?”

“They’re young,” Zhou Mi allowed, “but Hoya’s father was in the service of your mother for over thirty-five years. His father died protecting your mother at that council gathering. Hoya is more than ready to take up his mantle and be of service to you. And Dongwoo? He’s a bit of a wild card, but where Hoya goes, he goes, and his skill with a blade is unrivalled. The two of them are a perfect team and you won’t have to worry with them around. I’ll make sure you’re fine and comfortable with them before I go back to my family, likely the day after your introduction.”

Mark felt his throat close up. He didn’t want these vampires, Hoya and Dongwoo. And he didn’t want to lose Zhou Mi.

Mark started, “I don’t--”

A firm knock to the door had Zhou Mi rising to his feet.

“Zhou Mi,” Mark whispered to him from the sofa. “If it’s my uncle?”

Zhou Mi inclined his head. “Then you’re still sleeping.”

Mark let out a sigh of relief. Zhou Mi really was the best.

It was not his uncle. In fact it was Kyuhyun, who was a surprise to say the least, because Kyuhyun didn’t seem the type at all to go anywhere without announcing himself first. To simply show up without a prior appointment was out of the ordinary. 

“Sorry,” Mark apologized as Zhou Mi led Kyuhyun back to the sofa. He ran quick fingers through his hair, trying desperately to get rid of the bedhead. “I just woke up.”

“Don’t stand on circumstance for me,” Kyuhyun said, and it was odd to see him without his two cohorts who always flanked him on either side. “I realize I’m unannounced. I apologize.”

“Can I help you with something?” Mark asked. He couldn’t help always feeling so nervous around Kyuhyun. His sister had assured him once that Kyuhyun could be playful and easygoing, but Mark had never seen it. Maybe that part of him had died with Grace.

Kyuhyun’s eyes cut over to Zhou Mi. “Leave us.”

“Hey!” Mark protested right away. He understood the ranking system within vampire culture, and even within purebloods, but Zhou Mi was his friend and he wouldn’t have him ordered around like a dog. “You can’t talk to him like that. He’s my friend.”

He’d likely just gone and irritated Kyuhyun or worse, but Mark just couldn’t stand for Zhou Mi to be disrespected.

Always a puzzle, Kyuhyun grinned and seated himself across from Mark. “You have an issue with how I spoke to him? Or that I wish him to leave so we can discuss something of a vital nature?”

Mark looked to Zhou Mi who was caught between the door and the sofa, not sure where to go or what to do.

Mark told Kyuhyun, “I don’t like how you talked to him. Zhou Mi deserves all the consideration in the world.”

Kyuhyun arched an eyebrow. “He should leave now. Unless you trust him explicitly enough to hear the conversation we are about to have.”

Mark recalled Kyhyun’s much earlier warning. If he trusted the wrong person, he’d end up dead. But trusting Zhou Mi had always come like breathing to Mark, and he didn’t doubt the vampire for a second. So boldly, his gaze sliding from Kyuhyun to Zhou Mi to gage his reaction, Mark said, “I take it you’re here to talk about the traitor within the ranks of the council.”

Zhou Mi’s face betrayed nothing, but his body tipped just slightly to the side, visibly tensing up. 

Kyuhyun looked absolutely thrilled and called to Zhou Mi, “Come and sit with us, Zhou Mi, since you seem to have Prince Mark’s ear and trust.”

Silently Zhou Mi moved like a shadow, seating himself next to Mark, his eyes sharp as he waited.

“You told me,” Mark directed at Kyuhyun, “that I should make sure only to trust the right people or it could get me killed. I trust Zhou Mi with my life. He can hear anything you have to say.”

“I believe,” Kyuhyun said dryly, “I told you not to trust anyone. But semantics.”

“I would never betray Mark,” Zhou Mi said venomously. 

“Kyuhyun,” Mark sighed. “Please, tell me why you’re here. It’s about the council, right? It’s about what we talked about before? The person who’s leaking information? The person who’s a traitor?” Who was responsible for ruining Mark’s life and killing the majority of his immediate family.

The mood in the room shifted , Mark could feel it around him, and he knew absolutely he wouldn’t like what came next.

“I’ve determined the leak,” Kyuhyun said. “It hasn’t been easy, either, and I suspect someone has been working actively to undermine me. But I believe I’ve finally put the pieces together, Mark. Or at least I have a rough estimate of the situation at hand.”

“You do?” Mark asked apprehensively. 

Kyuhyun nodded, and there was something horribly unhappy on his face that set off Mark off into a sense of unease. If Kyuhyun knew who their traitor was, why wasn’t he more happy? 

“I believe so,” Kyuhyun said. “And now I’m tasked with convincing you of who it is. I don’t expect it will be easy, either.”

“No?”

“No,” confirmed Kyuhyun. “Because I’m sorry, Mark, but it’s the last person you’re going to be inclined to believe me it is, and what I’m prepared to tell you, is something no one can ever take back.”

Hands shaking, Mark demanded, “The last person I’d believe?”

Bluntly, Kyuhyun said, “A member of the fourth family.”


	12. Twelve

Mark stared intensely at Kyuhyun. 

Kyuhyun, who was a picture of poise and pureblood aristocracy, stared back.

“A member of my family,” Mark said excruciatingly slow. He felt Zhou Mi lean closer to him, his body giving off the slightest bit of heat, but Mark barely registered it. “What do you mean, a member of my family?”

Did Kyuhyun mean a power hungry cousin? A bloodthirsty aunt or uncle? Mark knew his family wasn’t nearly as extensive as some of the other families, but it has its own kind of crazy, and there were quite a few black sheep. 

Kyuhyun gave a deep nod. “I would like you to understand that I did not reach this conclusion without being extremely extensive and careful in my investigation.”

Thankful he was already seated, Mark felt his knees go weak. “This is going to be bad,” he said more to himself, fearful of the look on Kyuhyun’s face. “This is going to be really bad.”

“I’m sorry, Mark,” Kyuhyun said, and it didn’t matter in the least that he truly did look it. “All evidence points to your uncle.”

“Have you lost your mind completely!” Mark yelled, on his feet in less than a second, towering over Kyuhyun. “My uncle? What in the hell is wrong with you!”

Next to Mark, still sitting perfectly still with a polite look in his face, Zhou Mi asked, “You realize what line your are treading?”

Kyuhyun ignored Mark’s outburst and said, “I understand full well the line I am stepping fully over. And the implications, let alone the consequences.”

“If you are wrong,” Zhou Mi warned, “It’ll mean a punishment you will not recover from, and shame forever attached to your family.”

Kyuhyun nodded. “But I’m not wrong, and I’m willing to stake my life on my claim. Literally.”

Before Zhou Mi could say anything in return, Mark exploded, shooting them equally poisonous glares, “Can you two stop talking to each other like we’re discussing the weather!” Mark felt like tearing his hair out as he shouted to Kyuhyun, “My uncle is not a traitor!”

Kyuhyun gestured to the sofa Mark had once been sitting on. “I’ll explain if you sit back down and breathe more calmly.”

“No! You won’t! I am not going to listen to your bullshit conspiracy theory!”

Zhou Mi stood in one graceful moment, put a hand on Mark’s shoulder, and said, “You need to sit down. Prince Kyuhyun would never make a claim of this magnitude unless he was absolutely certain. Should you choose not to believe him after he’s explained himself, that is your choice, but you must listen to him now.”

There was something commanding about the way Zhou Mi spoke, and it made Mark want to comply almost immediately, no matter how ludicrous the idea of his uncle being a traitor was. 

Mark said evenly, sitting, “My uncle has been serving the council for two decades now. Many of the members are his personal friends. And maybe it’s just because you don’t know the kind of man my uncle is, but he’s not one to lower himself to a station he feels is beneath him. Something like this would be beneath him.”

Kyuhyun steeped his fingers, brought the tips to his lips, mused for a second, and then said, “Do you know that your uncle is banned from inheriting the position of heir in your family? Banned from ever being considered in any possible instance?”

Mark shot him an odd look. “Yes. I do.”

“Do you know why?”

Mark was forced to shake his head. “I take it you know?” It was quickly becoming evident that Kyuhyun was privy to a lot of information that Mark wasn’t, and probably some information that most vampires weren’t. Kyuhyun was exceptionally sly.

Kyuhyun’s head tilted towards Zhou Mi. “Do you?”

In a rumbling voice, Zhou Mi said, “He attempted to bribe certain council members over a delicate issue involving the humans nearly forty years ago. Those he couldn’t bribe, he blackmailed. Those he couldn’t blackmail ….” 

Mark paled.

Zhou Mi finished, “Charges were officially filed several years later, and judgment from the council came shortly afterwards.”

Kyuhyun interjected, “Grace was a child at the time, Mark. A baby when the matter was fully done. And no proof was actually presented against your uncle, but there were some disappearances and questionable instances that resulted in your uncle being barred from ever having a say over human matters. Because he couldn’t have a say, which means he couldn’t have a vote should inheritance ever come to him, he was disqualified.”

Mark chocked out a laugh. “So you think because my uncle hates the humans enough to try and bribe or extort some vampires over their issue, that he single handedly staged the attack on the council and …”

“And,” Kyuhyun said deliberately, “the deaths of your family. And mine. And others.”

Mark felt his body trembling, and the way he was pulled to Zhou Mi’s side helped anchor him a little, but everything was going numb.

He could barely manage to say, “My uncle loved my mother so much. And the whole family. He would never. So I have to tell you, I’m really, really upset and disappointed with your witch hunt. I think you’re so desperate to have someone to blame for losing Grace, that you’ll target anyone who you think could possibly be at fault. I think you’re crazy and impulsive and wrong, and you’re insulting my family right now. You’re insulting Grace.”

“Breathe,” Zhou Mi said, running fingers up the back of Mark’s neck in a soothing way. “Deep breaths.”

“How can you say something like that?” Mark asked, voice hitching as his eyes started to burn. The tears were moments away. “How can you even think that my uncle could do something so deplorable to his own family?”

Kyuhyun tried to speak, but Mark cut him off, snapping, “You didn’t see him after the attack. You didn’t see him struggle to live with a throat that had been cut open and the survivor’s guilt that came with it. He hasn’t been the same since he lost the people he loves!” And all Mark could think about was stumbling upon his uncle in his dorm room, so delicately handling their family’s disturbed ashes, weeping silently with shaking shoulders. It was not the picture of a guilty man.

“Let him explain himself,” Zhou Mi urged once more.

Mark cut Zhou Mi a dirty look, but asked, “What kind of motivation would my uncle have for being a part of something that killed the person he considered to be the other half of his soul?”

“Because,” Kyuhyun said slowly and definitively, “there is something your uncle cares about more than the love he felt for his sister. And you know that, Mark. You know there is no room in your uncle for anything but the urge and want to destroy the humans. He wants to kill them all. And he’ll do anything to accomplish that--make any sacrifice.”

“You’re not winning me over here,” Mark grit out. “You don’t know my uncle. You don’t know anything about him.”

“I know it would have been to his best benefit,” Kyuhyun said. “to instigate the deaths of the rest of your family. Because your uncle wasn’t just stripped of his rights in the fourth family to inherit anything due to his actions against certain vampires, it happened because he attempted to force the council’s hand on the matter of the treaty. Many believe he attempted to invalidate it and start a new conflict. He was only stopped because the sentiment for peace was stronger than his hatred, and because he wasn’t nearly as careful as he thought he was. But removing him from the line of succession didn’t curb his hatred for the humans. In fact it may have made that hatred stronger, and he’s nothing if not resourceful. He’s cunning and intelligent, and your uncle will take carefully planned risks if he sees an opportunity. I believe, Mark, he saw one in you.”

“In me,” Mark scoffed.

Kyuhyun nodded. “The treaty is weak and unfairly balanced in some instances, but it works. And enough members of the council still believed in it before recent events. They never would have voted to touch it. Your mother wouldn’t have, and she must have imparted on Grace never to risk war. But you? Your mother probably taught you things like music, and not politics. Compared to Grace, you’re a naïve child in terms of the human and vampire conflict. With Grace as heir, and then eventually the head of your family, I can almost say without a shadow of a doubt that the treaty would have remained untouched. And for someone like your uncle, who hates humans more than he loves his family, it must have seemed unbearable to him. So he fixed that. He worked the situation to his advantage. He removed your mother and Grace who would never vote how he wanted if he could somehow bring the council to that point.”

“He wouldn’t,” Mark said again, thinking of all the shared Christmases, the birthday parties, family vacations, and all the moments of his life when his uncle was there, showering him with love and praise. 

“Would he?” Zhou Mi asked instead, curiously. “Would he do something like this? For a chance to change the treaty? To spark a conflict that would give him an excuse to kill hundreds, if not thousands of humans?”

“Not for a chance,” Kyuhyun said with a shake of his head. “For a sure bet.”

“How?” 

Kyuhyun looked a little weary as he told Mark and Zhou Mi, “Everything comes down to the numbers. Thirteen families means thirteen votes. The vote itself does not have to unanimous, but it must have the majority. The families that were attacked or threatened, before the council was hit, and then afterwards, were all families that would have, without a doubt, voted to keep the treaty as is. It’s my belief that they were hit as a way for your uncle, Mark, to motivate them to his way of thinking--that humans are foul creatures who must be stomped from existence before they do more harm.”

Mark clenched his fingers into fists.

“Siwon’s father,” Kyuhyun said, “fought in the human and vampire war. He is one of the eldest members of the council. He lost too much, including children that were born decades before Siwon, to risk anything like that again. He would have voted no. My sister, Ahra, was a pacifist. And the third family, which was attacked recently, was headed by a vampire who has always preached tolerance with the humans.”

Zhou Mi mused, “The thirteenth family would vote would vote the same as the fourth.”

Kyuhyun agreed, “As would the eighth and second, certainly. But now those votes are removed and reshuffled. In the place of older, more experienced vampires who know the horrors of war, there are teenagers and young vampires who are emotionally volatile. These are representatives who have been personally hurt by humans, and are therefore more inclined to want revenge. It’s quite smart in terms of strategy to make these changes, if not completely evil.”

“But,” Zhou Mi said calmly, “the attacks were most certainly carried out by humans. No vampire can fake a human scent. There is more than enough evidence to support the attack against the council, and the other families, to be the work of humans. Likely the HF.”

Kyuhyun said, “You’re forgetting that Humans First, our greatest adversaries, have time and time again denied that they’re behind the attacks. They’ve never been ones to shy away from previous claims. Because of this, I believe them when they say they didn’t attack our children and unprotected families. I believe them when they claim they didn’t burn Mark’s siblings alive in their house. They likely wanted to, but didn’t.”

“This is crazy,” Mark moaned out.

“Humans are,” Zhou Mi offered, “easily swayed with money. It wouldn’t have been difficult for anyone to offer a significant sum of money to a group of humans, ask them to masquerade as the Human’s First liberation group, and then carry out these tasks.”

Mark felt himself collapse fully on Zhou Mi, tension and anxiety eating him up. “So now my uncle is guilty because he’s wealthy?”

Kyuhyun shook his head. “When the attacks first began, long before your family was targeted and before the first casualty, they were primarily incidents of property damage and threats of worse. They were meant to incite fear of how they would escalate, and Mark, your uncle was the first to push for a consideration on the matter of the treaty. He began advocating for it heavily, despite being banned from such a thing. The council was lenient with him because of the loss of his wife in a human conflict, but make no mistake they would have put the matter to rest soon enough if things hadn’t gotten worse.”

“Do you have any real proof?” Mark demanded, trying to light the fire back in him. He wanted to get up and shout and scream and run and do something--anything. He didn’t want to slump over and listen to these accusations. He felt offended on his uncle’s behalf.

“Mark?” Kyuhyun asked, “You must have considered why certain vampires were casualties during that attack, and not others. Eye witness reports claim there were more than enough humans to cause a much more significant number of deaths. But the official report from the council states that once Siwon’s father, my sister, and your parents and Grace were dead, the humans broke formation and retreated. I’ve also read the report from the fatal attack against the head of the third family. There were several prominent and powerful vampires there at the time of the attack, but they were untouched. Why?”

Mark was silent. And he absolutely refused to meet Kyuhyun’s intense gaze.

“Because,” Kyuhyun continued, “it’s exactly how I said. It’s all about the numbers. It’s about knowing, or at least anticipating, how someone will vote, and then manipulating the situation to serve that knowledge. Those who have perished were the least likely to move from their intended decisions of peace. Now that opposition is gone, and those members of the council who were undecided, may yet decide to act on a course of war. And of course, we’re then left with you. Because like your uncle, I think I’ve done the math properly. I think I can anticipate how the others will vote, and that is why your vote, more than anyone else’s, is the most important. You’re going to be the tie breaker, Mark. It’s you. And your uncle knows it.” 

“I can’t listen to this.” Mark dragged his fingers through his hair.

Kyuhyun said, “This couldn’t have worked out any better to his advantage, either. Your uncle couldn’t have asked for a better person for it to come down to. Because you’re young and naïve and you can be easily swayed with the right words or actions. He’s been playing you from the start knowing it would be you, and that is the true explanation for all of this.”

“Then why the fire!”

“Ah, yes. The fire. That’s precisely what I mean.”

Mark found his anger, shoved the sorrow down, and raged back, “Why the damn fire?”

It was Zhou Mi who said, startling Mark, “If we’re going by Prince Kyuhyun’s theory, the only reason for the fire would be to eliminate the line of succession before you, Mark. If your family was going to end up being the tie breaker in a best case scenario, this would be a wise move.”

“But I lived,” Mark said, hastily wiping away his tears. “I’m alive. The line isn’t gone.”

“Do you see now why I asked you what happened the night of the first?” Kyuhyun inquired. “Why weren’t you there?”

“I already told you,” Mark shot back. “My uncle surprised me with bringing Henry and we--”

“Conveniently removed you from the situation,” Kyhyun finished for him. “Because of all your uncle’s nieces and nephews, you are the closest to him. I doubt that is an accident. You have his ear, and he has yours. Now, with your mother and Grace gone as not to vote against what he wanted, and Tammy gone for the same reason, not to mention your father gone to protect you from your uncle’s manipulations, he could mold your vote into exactly what he wanted it to be. I assume your brother to merely be a casualty.”

Mark felt himself go light headed.

“I believe this plan of his has been in the making for a very long time, your uncle is patient enough to wait it out. I believe he befriended you, kept you close to him, orchestrated the deaths of everyone in his way, placed you into a position of power, and then has been steadily pushing you towards voting how he wishes by threatening you with perceived dangers and a human threat that is not really there.”

“No, no, no, no.” Mark dashed across the room, slammed into the bathroom and locked it behind him. “No,” he sobbed out, mashing his hand desperately against his mouth to stop any future words, tears streaking down his face.

“Mark!” Zhou Mi called through the door. “Are you okay?”

Shaking, Mark slid down to the floor, his back braced against the door, shoulders catching as he sobbed even louder.

He could hear Kyuhyun from the other side of the door say, “The council is surprisingly easy to manipulate. Do not feel as if you’re the only one who fell prey to your uncle. They were played like a finely tuned instrument, all of your uncle’s opposition being easily picked off, replaced with more favorable heirs, or the inexperienced, like you. All the while building the fear of humans day by day. When it comes to people who know how to manipulate others, these things are not impossible to do without drawing notice.”

Zhou Mi asked, “You think that slur which was written on Mark’s door wasn’t the work of the humans after all, do you?”

“No,” Kyuhyun agreed. “Neither do I think the destruction of his room was, or the attack in town. Instead I believe those to be chess pieces slowly being placed into the perfect positions, meant to scare Mark into hating and fearing the humans until a checkmate became playable. His uncle must have thought to fright Mark into believing he must take action, if only to prevent the deaths of loved ones.”

It sounded like Zhou Mi was agreeing as he said, “Vampires can be bought as well, especially those without title or money. It was never believable that a human could make it onto campus and act in such a way without being caught. The human scent lingering around Mark’s rooms were … odd. It would make sense if they were fake.”

“You’re so full of bullshit!” Mark heard himself scream. He was starting to feel detached, like a visitor in his own body. “My uncle was at the council meeting! He nearly died!”

When Kyuhyun spoke his voice was so close that he had to be standing right outside the bathroom door, next to Zhou Mi. Even the reinforced door could have been broken down in mere moments if Kyuhyun really wanted in, but Mark remained safe in the bathroom as he heard the elder vampire say, “After the fire at your house, and the attack on the council, your uncle would have been the first suspect on a very short list. In truth, they must have already suspected him in the events leading up to the attack. In order to draw suspicion form himself, it is my belief that your uncle arranged for himself to be injured. When he made himself into a victim, it turned many eyes from him, and gave him the room necessary to work on you.”

“Mark?” Zhou Mi asked once more, more gently than Mark had ever heard before. “Can you open the door?”

Legs pulled to his chest, Mark continued to cry, burring his face in his knobby knees.

It wasn’t true. It absolutely wasn’t true. Mark would never believe that his uncle was capable of something so disgusting and horrible, especially to his own family. His uncle wasn’t that kind of man. He wouldn’t. And no matter Kyuhyun said, Mark wouldn’t believe him.

“You have been thorough,” Zhou Mi commented.

Kyuhyun made a unhappy sound. “I still have several pieces of the puzzle that remain a mystery. Mark’s uncle would not have known about the location of the council meeting. Only the heads and heirs knew, and not until the last moment. Not to mention Marcus might have the intelligence to concoct something like this, but not the resources and manpower. The council keeps a very close eye on the finances and actions of the thirteen families. Any irregular activity would have been noticed. I need to understand how these things fit in properly. These are pieces that cannot be ignored. But regardless of those mysteries, I’m quite certain that there is more than one traitor at work here--perhaps several, all working together and leaving phantom footprints that are getting more and more difficult to decipher. Now more than ever we must ally with each other, and trust each other.”

Zhou Mi knocked again on the door. “Mark? Can you please--”

“No!” Mark snapped, feeling the anger bubble up in side him once more. “Not until you get the real traitor out of my rooms right now!”

“Listen to me,” Kyuhyun said, actually sounding a little desperate. “Your uncle succeeded in getting the vote moved up, along with your introduction. You’re in danger, more than before, if you give the slightest hint that you won’t vote the way he wants. He hasn’t put all this time and effort into you for nothing. If he thinks you may not vote his way, he won’t spare you. He didn’t spare anyone else.”

“Get out!” Mark hit the door viciously behind him. “Get the fuck out!”

He was crying again after that, trying to control himself but failing wildly.

“Watch him,” Mark heard Kyuhyun say to Zhou Mi quietly. “Watch him as if your life depended on it. His uncle will kill him if it’s the kind of power move he needs to make. There’s a chance Henry could be up for temporary heir if Mark is taken out, and I don’t think I need to tell you how the vote would go then.”

“Nothing,” Zhou Mi whispered back, “will happen to him while I’m here.”

Just before Mark was about the shout at Kyuhyun to leave once more, he heard the vampire say, “I made a promise to Grace, Zhou Mi, that when I married her and her family became mine, I would never let anything happen to them. The only one I can save now is Mark. I won’t let Grace down. I won’t disrespect her memory by breaking my word. Don’t make me a liar, Zhou Mi. Do not let his uncle hurt him.”

Mark squeezed his eyes as tightly shut as they would go, pressed his fingers to his ears and blocked everything out.

He must have sat there for hours. Every once in a while he’d feel the vibrations of someone knocking on the door rippling up his back, but eventually they would fade and he’d be left alone in peace. He could only mark the passage of time by the fact that his blood hunger was growing,

So finally, when Zhou Mi knocked once more on the door, Mark got to his feet, turned the brass handle, and peeked out.

“He’s gone,” Zhou Mi said immediately. “He left quite a while ago.”

Mark said bluntly, “I’m hungry. I want blood and food.”

“Come here,” Zhou Mi said, guiding him to the kitchenette. “I’ll cook you something. And I’ll call down to the main building for fresh blood for you.”

He had the blood first, fifteen minutes later, seated up on a countertop with his feet hanging down in a way that made him feel young. Zhou Mi cooked efficiently next to him, using what few ingredients Mark had in his kitchen, which did turn out to be more than he expected.

“Here.” Zhou Mi put a bowl of warm soup, a ham and cheese sandwich, and a glass of orange juice in front of Mark, saying, “If you’d prefer to head to the dinning hall, I’m sure they could offer you a much wider selection of food.”

Mark started at the sandwich, then picked it up gingerly. “My mom used to make me ham and cheese sandwiches when I was younger. Grace always had the turkey, Joey wouldn’t eat anything but peanut butter and jelly, and Tammy had the tuna. We made mom do so much extra work. Just for sandwiches.”

Zhou Mi’s hand ghosted over the top of Mark’s head. “I doubt your mother saw it as a chore. Mothers rarely do.”

“Thanks.” He took a bite from the sandwich and watched Zhou Mi sit across from him in the other chair.

“Do you wish to speak about what Prince Kyuhyun had to say? Or not? The choice is yours.”

Suddenly the sandwich tasted like ash. 

“Zhou Mi?” Mark asked. “Do you believe him?”

Cautiously, Zhou Mi said, “He presented a strong argument for accusation.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

Mark was half convinced that he wouldn’t get a straight answer from Zhou Mi before the man said, “I believe that your uncle is capable of doing such a thing. However, you were right to point out earlier that Prince Kyuhyun had no actual proof to implicate your uncle. He believed what he was telling you, but an accusation without proof is worthless.”

“You believe him,” Mark surmised. “You think my uncle butchered our family to get me under his thumb, so I’d be the tipping point in an eventual vote. You think he’d do it. You think he did.”

Zhou Mi pursed his lips for a second. “Your uncle has a reputation.”

“What kind?” Mark deadpanned.

“The kind that says he’s volatile,” Zhou Mi replied. “Short on patience, especially on human matters. Cutthroat. And morally questionable. I don’t want to hurt your image of him, Mark, but he doesn’t have the trust of many elder vampires, and for a reason.”

Mark stirred his spoon through his French onion soup. “I’m his namesake,” Mark said, watching the murky liquid slosh around. “My mom loved him so much she named me after him, no matter what my dad wanted. I don’t even think she consulted him before I had the name Mark. And he means so much to me, Zhou Mi. We used to do all the things together that my dad didn’t always have time for, and he’d buy me an extra birthday present every year and give it to me after my party, when the two of us went out for our traditional trip to the nearby arcade. He never raised a hand to me, or his voice for that matter. He spoiled me, favored me, and told me he loved me more than my parents combined. Those are not the actions of a man that would murder his family. For a vote.”

Had it just been for a vote? Had all the attention and love been with a condition attached to it?

“If you don’t believe Prince Kyuhyun, and you trust your gut more than his words, then don’t question your uncle,” Zhou Mi said as he prepared to leave, citing a need to attend to his school work. It was something that reminded Mark how attentive Zhou Mi had been, and made Mark feel guilty. “Trust your instincts, Mark, no matter how heavy they might make your heart feel. But as always, never forget, if you need me I’m here.”

Mark stood less than a foot’s distance away from Zhou Mi, and he had to tip his head back to look up at the tall vampire. “Thank you,” he said, meaning it more than he could properly express. “For being here for me. For helping me. For … for everything, basically.”

Zhou Mi’s hand was large as it came up to cup the side of Mark’s face, his thumb stroking gently over his jaw. “I will be here for you for as long as you need me. Never question that.”

“That might be a while,” Mark said, voice going low. Because god forbid Kyuhyun had been even the slightest bit right …

No, that wasn’t something Mark could entertain even for a second.

He’d already endured so much. He was at his limit. He was going to break soon if he let himself think there was a chance that the only thing he had left in his life was nothing but a lie.

“I,” Zhou Mi reminded, bending slightly to his eye level, “am your match-- your counterbalance. Feel free to dispute this at a later date, but in this moment, I am your other half. I am your most loyal ally and your biggest advocate. I will never betray you and I will always help you. That’s what having a match means. This is what you should expect from me. And it isn’t anything you should ever feel the need to thank me for. I am here for you in every way possible.”

“Zhou Mi.”

Anything else was completely cut off as Zhou Mi’s mouth covered Mark’s. 

It was absolutely as chaste as kisses came, with the barest hint of pressure and all the gentleness in the world, but Mark felt it down to his toes. He felt the love and the dedication and the meaning behind everything Zhou Mi had ever said to him. And it was a very nice kiss. So nice that he lost himself for a minute.

Then he remembered Jackson. Goofy, sometimes annoying, but often endearing Jackson. The boy who’d captured Mark’s attention from the very start, and been everything Mark had needed during the worst period of his life. Jackson kissed him too, but very much not chastely, and that was how Mark preferred his kisses.

“I can’t,” Mark said, leaning back from Zhou Mi. “I have someone, Zhou Mi. I won’t be unfaithful.” Especially not since Jackson had taken him on a fantastic date, made him feel truly special, and then saved his life at the end of it. Not when Mark looked at Jackson and knew he was something special--that what they had was something special. Something worth fighting for and protecting.

“Someone,” Zhou Mi repeated.

Technically, he supposed, he had two someones. Jackson was his boyfriend as much as Zhou Mi was his match. Neither invalidated the other.

“The half breed,” Zhou Mi said. 

“Jackson,” Mark corrected. “And I really like him.”

After a minute more, and Zhou Mi’s somewhat uncomfortable gaze that flickered continuously from Mark’s eyes down to his lips and back up, Zhou mi headed to the door.

“Zhou Mi,” Mark called after him, trailing a little like a puppy. “Don’t be angry.”

“Don’t be angry that the person I’ve been matched to, the person I care for a great deal, and that I have been preparing to marry for several years, has someone else?”

Mark groaned. “Don’t make it sound like that! You know I’m dissolving the match!” He trailed after the taller man.

Zhou Mi stilled suddenly, Mark almost running into him. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

No. Obviously not. It just made Mark feel like dirt. 

The guilt continued to mount as Zhou Mi pulled open the door, but peered back at Mark to say, “I will always respect your choice, even if that choice isn’t me. But I fell in love with the idea of having you as my match a long time ago. And then when I got to meet you here, for the first time, that love was more than just an idea. It was real.”

Mark winced. “I’m sorry.”

Zhou Mi took a deep breath, chest heaving. “I have never asked you to love me in return. I hesitated to ask you to attempt to give us time enough for you to feel simple affection for me. But you have hurt me by dismissing the idea of our match before giving it any real thought. You’ve hurt me by dismissing me.”

Zhou Mi was down the hall and gone before Mark could react, his stomach sinking into his lower bowels.

Mark was attracted to Jackson. That much he was certain of. And they weren’t complimentary in the least bit, but Mark liked that part the best. He liked that he and Jackson fit together in a messy way that didn’t make sense and was fun and entertaining. The things Mark felt for him were real and a little scary in their intensity, but still very, very real.

But the more he thought about it now, with how amazing Zhou Mi had been, and patient and strong and loyal, it was possible the feelings he had for Zhou Mi were more than he’d ever allowed himself to admit before. They were more than he’d let himself consider.

They had to be, because what he was feeling now, as Zhou Mi walked away from him hurt and angry and devastated, made Mark’s heart hurt in only one way possible.

His feelings for Zhou Mi felt much different from the ones he had for Jackson, but not less intense. Not any more. And it was startling to realize it all at once, right after having hurt a person who never did anything to deserve it.

It was all completely confusing mostly.

That kiss hadn’t helped things either, because it had been … amazing. The more Mark replayed it in his mind, the more comfort and intimacy he’d found in it. There’d been no pressure, no standards, no expectations. There’d only been pure and careful desire. And a softness. 

“Oh, no,” Mark ground out slowly as he shut the door behind Zhou Mi. 

What the hell was he going to do? 

The next few days were some of the worst.

Thankfully he was spared from having to look his uncle in the eyes and wonder if he was the kind of man that Mark had sworn up and down that he wasn’t, but he still had to speak to him on the telephone. He felt like his uncle’s responses kept coming off clipped and suspicious every time he had to answer a question Mark had for him as they discussed the council, and by the end of the phone call he was so anxious and jittered that he had to lay down afterwards and coach himself to breath easy.

Henry continued to be MIA, Amber in tow, and part of Mark was actually thankful. Kyuhyun was accusing Mark’s uncle of multiple murders, and if that held true, there was something equally suspicious about Henry’s behavior. Henry had been the one to take him away from his house the night of the fire and keep him out until dawn. Henry had practically become his shadow at school, following him everywhere, likely reporting back to his father, keeping watch. Henry had been unaccounted for when the slur had been written on Mark’s door, when his dorm had been broken into, and when the latest attack had happened. Henry kept secrets. Henry didn’t give full answers. Henry ….

No.

He couldn’t start down that path. He couldn’t. Not with Henry.

Henry was his cousin. He was Mark’s best friend. He was an unmovable pillar of strength and Mark trusted Henry with his life. Mark knew Henry had made mistakes, and he hadn’t told Mark about what Zhou Mi was to him. But Henry hadn’t done it maliciously. He’d done it to protect Mark, no matter how foolish that intended protection had been. There was no way Henry needed to be implicated in any way in Kyuhyun’s crazy conspiracy theories. Emphasis on the crazy.

And naturally, because life was clearly punishing Mark for something, his week was made exceptionally uncomfortable by Zhou Mi. 

It wasn’t Zhou Mi’s fault. That wasn’t lost on Mark. But it was uncomfortable all the same.

Zhou Mi, the kind of match that anyone would be salivating over, went on after their hasty parting to treat Mark as if it had never happened. He was cordial as always, walked Mark to and from class, talked to him about all the things they usually did, and not once brought up the fact that he’d kissed Mark or been brushed off like unwanted sweater lint.

Mark spent those moments stumbling over himself, half caught between apologizing for being dismissive, or worse, admitting that maybe the kiss had sort of … at least a little … meant something. Maybe meant something. Maybe.

The only highlight Mark could pinpoint, as Kyuhyun’s ceremony grew ever closer, which would certainly prove to be yet another uncomfortable event for most parties attending, was that Jackson was released from the hospital. And from his parent’s watchful gazes. He came back to school on a Thursday, and was waiting for Mark at his dorm before their first class.

“Don’t mind me,” Jackson said, ducking in for a sweet kiss that Mark felt his body tingle in response to. “But I need to make up for all that time you spent denying me in the hospital.”

Mark passed his bag strap over his head and started with Jackson towards class. “You wanted me to feel you up with your mom less than a hundred feet away,” Mark teased back. “You’re a pervert, Jackson. Not everyone shares your kinks.”

Jackson’s fingers slipped through to Mark’s and a feeling of the content bliss he was feeling reflected on his face in the form of a smile.

“I knew you missed me,” Jackson said, swinging their hands, “but you knew something like that wouldn’t keep me down, either. I’m a beast.”

“Really,” Mark asked skeptically. 

“A sexy beast!” Jackson corrected.

“Hey!” a voice called out sharply, and in less than five seconds Mark felt absolutely normal. Jackson’s hand never let up from the grip it had on Mark’s, and around them their newly arrived friends joked loudly, hopped around, complained about school work, pretended that the hadn’t all missed Jackson’s presence, and helped Mark forget his worries. 

“This is all it took?” Jr. questioned, bumping into Mark deliberately as they left the rest of their group on the first floor for class and headed up to the second for theirs. 

“All what took?”

Jr. gave him a sly look. “You’ve been moping around here for days, dragging your feet and acting like you want to run out into the sunlight. But that all changed the second Jackson was back here.”

Mark wondered how much they knew about the night Jackson had been injured. Maybe they didn’t know anything, only that he and Jackson had been jumped on their way back. Mark certainly hoped that was all they knew. 

“He’s my boyfriend,” Mark said, grinning all teeth. “Considering I’m nearly a sixteen year old boy, that’s all you should expect me to need.”

Jr. whacked him on the arm. “So you’re having sex then? With Jackson back you’re finally getting to relieve that sexual tension that’s been building up?”

Immediately Mark shook his head, almost appalled at the thought. “We’ve only been dating a few months!”

“Oral then?” Jr. shrugged.

Mark gave him a bleak look. “You’re just as much a pervert as Jackson is.”

“Maybe you’re not enough,” Jr. laughed. “Because he’s pretty cute. Anyone will tell you that. And you two seem like you’re all over each other now. Give it time. I’m giving it about a week.”

Mark hit him again for good measure.

After only a few more days, days that Mark spent lounging around his dorm with his friends, making out with Jackson, and acting like he didn’t have a care in the world, Mark found himself seated next to Zhou Mi in the back of a spacious SUV, Kyuhyun and his two ever faithful companions across from them, all of them headed to the airport.

It was the first time Mark had been in Kyuhyun’s presence since Kyuhyun had accused Mark’s uncle of having his family killed, and Mark was certainly feeling the anxiety level in the car. 

Of course Kyuhyun, who had the best poker face in the world, sat prim as ever, and said, “The ceremony itself will be a relatively short one. This is a two day trip away from campus. Nothing more.”

Before Kyuhyun could say anything else, Zhou Mi leaned towards Mark’s ear and said, “Your cousin Henry will be there. I spoke with him earlier and he will meet us there.”

More than a little relieved to see Henry again after such an absence, Mark tentatively asked Kyuhyun, “Will a lot of people be there?”

“Not many our age,” Kyuhyun replied promptly. “But a good amount of our elders will be present. My father’s friends and acquaintances, mainly. Your cousin, Mark, will be present because I invited him. He’ll be there for the same reason Zhou Mi will. I thought you’d be more comfortable if you had them with you.”

Mark frowned. That seemed a little thinly veiled. 

Kyuhyun was the type to invite Henry merely to a keep an eye on him, and Zhou Mi so he could keep an eye on Mark.

“And I’m coming because?”

“Because you’re representing your family,” Kyuhyun said pointedly. Then he added softly, “And you’re as close to Grace being present to see this as I can ever have.”

Zhou Mi’s hand settled on Mark’s knee. “Don’t be nervous,” he said. “All the eyes will be on Prince Kyuhyun. You can fade into the background if you want, or just stand behind me. You know I’m very tall. I’ll block you from their line of sight.”

Mark wanted to crack a smile so badly. Because here was Zhou Mi, who Mark had said didn’t matter in the least romantically to him, which could possibly be a lie, and he was still working to do whatever he could for Mark.

“Give me a signal if it should come to that,” Zhou Mi added, and he gave Mark’s knee a soft squeeze.

Mark looked down to where Zhou Mi was touching him, and then up to the heavy gaze being sent his way. 

Mark severely disagreed that all eyes would be on Kyuhyun.


	13. Thirteen

Kyuhyun’s family home, Mark learned just before the ceremony that would promote Kyuhyun to the head of his family, was located in South Korea, and was traditional in every sense of the word. Secluded up in the hills, and surrounded by the beauty of nature, Mark found the home to be extremely serene, architecturally gorgeous, and well worth the substantial trip to get there. 

“You grew up here?” Mark asked Kyuhyun when the two o them were standing at the back of the house, looking out over the expansive property. Everything was green and almost glowing under the moonlight. “It’s really pretty.”

“My sister and I spent about half the year here,” Kyuhyun said, and when he stepped up next to Mark he was wearing a simple pair of jeans and a sweater. It was the most casual Mark had ever seen Kyuhyun, who was almost always dressed to impress. 

But even Mark could tell something had changed when he and the others had arrived at Kyuhyun’s home. The ceremony was slated to take place the following night, but until then Mark knew he was merely a guest. And Kyuhyun was home. That meant different things to the both of them, but at least it was helping to ease the tension between them.

“You grew up on an estate around this size, if I’m not mistaken,” Kyuhyun pointed out.

Mark leaned on a support pole nearby. His ears caught the sound of childish laugher and Mark traced the noises to a couple of young children dashing across the lawn. There was a much older, watchful vampire accompanying them, but the children looked absolutely blissful and worry free.

It felt to Mark as if he’d never been like that himself. 

“The main house was big,” Mark agreed, “but this is different.” He could feel something in the air. Kyuhyun’s house carried an air of mystery. Not to mention if Mark went exploring, he’d probably find deep valleys, running rivers, and all kinds of places to hike. The trees surrounding Mark’s old home had been more about protection. The woods around Kyuhyun’s didn’t feel that way at all. 

Kyuhyun pointed a finger to the east and said, “My sister and I would make a game out of driving our parents crazy. The woods are a maze of mossy and uniform trees in that direction. Sound carries oddly, it’s easy to get lost, and my sister and I were never a fan of our bodyguards to begin with. We’d do our best to lose them day in and day out. Our parents fired all the ones that couldn’t keep track of us, and then eventually my parents, who were friends with Siwon’s parents, brought him over for a playdate or sorts. Siwon never lost my sister or I once. My parents trusted him more than the whole of their protection force, and that’s saying something.”

Ah, the subject of Siwon. No doubt the next few minutes would be awkward. But Mark was always curious.

“I knew the two of you were old friends, but I didn’t know how old.”

Kyuhyun’s head tilted in thought. “I was five when I met Siwon. I’m almost twenty-five now. We got along right from the start, we’re very similar people, and our dedicated friendship is likely what nearly led to our match. That and already my parents could tell that I would be headstrong. They knew I’d need someone who could stand up to my bluntness and how determined I can be.”

Mark felt that way about his own match, oddly enough.

“But your parents decided to go with Grace instead,” Mark said. He knew the story well now.

“Because of my sister,” Kyuhyun supplied, and that was unexpected. He turned to Mark and said, “All these years Siwon’s held animosity towards Grace, when really it should have been directed at my sister. She was a brilliant, absolutely magnificent violinist. She was more than accomplished or talented, she was a prodigy. And she loved music more than anything else. She loved her music more than her match, more than her family, and more than her responsibilities. She carried herself dutifully, and acted every bit the heir she was, but inside her we all knew what her true desire was. My parents worried she’d choose her music over the family one day. So they invested in me, which led them to Grace, and left Siwon by the wayside. 

Mark asked, “Your sister was older than you by how much?”

“Thirteen years,” Kyuhyun said. “And that was more than enough to see the signs for what they were. It gave my parents enough to arrange my match to Grace to cover themselves if my sister decided to abandon everything she’d been trained for.”

“Hey,” Mark said, feeling a bit startled. “Grace was always going to be head of the family eventually. She was the undisputed heir. But if your parents suspected your sister my step down … they had to know that they were potentially creating a power vacuum.”

The kids further out shrieked loudly and Mark’s chest tightened in fear for a second before he realized they were good shrieks. 

Oversensitive, Mark told himself. He was too oversensitive now.

Kyuhyun laughed. “They knew. It was a strategic power move. Mark, ninety percent of what a vampire does is a power move of some sort. You should be understanding this by now. Vampires covet many things, but most often we desire power above all other things.”

“Yeah,” Mark agreed lowly.

“But,” Kyuhyun said softly, “my sister never stepped down to everyone’s surprise. She continued her courtship with her match. She fulfilled her obligations. She went to that meeting because she knew it was required of her, and she had her life snatched because of her dedication.”

“Does it hurt to think about her?” Mark asked. It was a horrible thing that bonded them, the mutual loss of a sister.

“Does it hurt to think of Grace or Tammy? What about your younger brother?”

Mark admitted, “Some days less than others. Some days more.”

“It’ll never go away completely,” Kyuhyun warned.

No, Mark didn’t think so.

“Come with me,” Kyuhyun said, surprising Mark. “I’d like to show you something.”

Kyuhyun led Mark through the huge house effortlessly. They passed groups of vampires, most of which Mark didn’t know, and only then was Mark able to comprehend what a full house they’d have.

“Where are you two going?” Henry asked when Mark and Kyuhyun cut in front of him. Henry was headed towards the stairs with an easy smile. Mark, for all the twisting emotions inside him, so was very happy to see Henry after his absence.

“We’ll be down momentarily,” Kyuhyun assured in a breezy way, then beckoned Mark to follow him once more.

Kyuhyun stopped them in front of a door at the end of the hall on the second floor. And from his pocket he retrieved a long, brass looking key that fit into a decidedly western looking lock on the door. It was the only thing out of place in the home at all.

“This,” Kyuhyun said, fitting the key into the lock. “is the music room. My sister used it predominately, but I played piano to accompany her violin from time to time. It hasn’t been used since her death. I doubt it’ll be less than a decade before it’s used again.”

Kyuhyun hit the light switch as they entered and Mark could see all the evidence in the world that it was a music room. There were selves of sheet music and music book against the far wall, a piano adjacent to that. And in the far corner, next to the large bay windows, was a cherry wood violin on display.

Mark ghosted forward, asking, “Why are we here?”

“I think,” Kyuhyun said, switching on a nearby light and moving to a small table near the violin with a series of framed pictures perched on top, “I might have something for you. If I can find it.”

Mark looked about the room once more as Kyuhyun shuffled through the pictures. The room reminded him of the family gatherings his parents used to have in a mandatory way once a week during the summer. When everyone was away at school or work, it was impossible. But during the summer, they all spent at least one full night together, and often they’d spend at least a portion of that time in their own music room. Most of Mark’s family members had played an instrument of some kind. Mark’s father had been teaching him the guitar. 

Over his shoulder, Kyuhyun called out, “Do you have many photographs of your family?”

“A couple,” Mark said absently. “Some of Grace and Tammy and Joey’s friends sent me facebook pictures they had stored on their accounts. And my uncle had a couple, but he never cared for photographs. I think there are some pictures at a couple of my parent’s vacation homes, but almost everything went down with the house.”

“I’ve been meaning to give this to you,” Kyuhyun said, turning back around. “I hadn’t been home to retrieve it until now.”

Kyuhyun handed him one of the photographs.

“When was this?” Mark asked, holding the picture frame in trembling hands. It was a picture he’d never seen before, but that part wasn’t important.

“Grace said it was taken on your trip to the Mediterranean last year.”

Mark pulled the picture closer, treasuring it. 

Grace and Tammy were in the foreground, Grace holding the camera in front of them while Tammy made a kissing face. And it was just the perfect angle, because in the background Mark’s own form was visible, standing shoulder to shoulder with Joey while the two of them fished from the sea. And even more perfectly, just slightly in frame, were Mark’s parents, locked in a loving embrace while the light of the moon made them seem timeless and young.

Mark looked to Kyuhyun, tears in his eyes. “Why do you have a picture like this?” He felt stupid for asking. It didn’t matter why Kyuhyun had it. All that mattered was that Mark was probably holding in his hand the last existing photograph of all six members of his family.

“It’s foolish, really,” Kyuhyun said.

Mark hugged the photograph to his chest, feeling overwhelmed. And then ashamed. It was only now that he was realizing the features of his parent’s faces, the way Joey had styled his hair, and even smaller things about Tammy and Grace, had started to fade from his mind. The fire hadn’t happened all that long ago, and already he was forgetting.

“Grace sent that photo to me with several others. There was nothing particularly special about the photos themselves, but this one …” Kyuhyun blew out an ungentlemanly breath of air. “That’s the first photo I ever saw of her wearing the bracelets we exchanged. The sentimentality urged me to keep it.”

Kyuhyun was right. Just visible on Grace’s wrist was the bracelet that she’d worn after officially accepting Kyuhyun as her match. She’d always been promised to him, almost since birth. But the bracelet was more like a binding contract. Vampires didn’t put on their match bracelets unless they full intended to marry their match, and understood that backing out wasn’t an option. 

Kyuhyun urged, “Take it back with you, Mark. Put it somewhere you can see every day, so that you’re reminded of the good every time the hurt chips away at you.”

“You’re giving this to me?” Mark could barely believe it. Kyuhyun had loved Grace very much. It couldn’t be anything small to give up the picture.

“I have a digital copy of that picture somewhere,” Kyuhyun assured. Then he stepped to the side and Mark could see for the first time that at least half the photos on the table were of Grace and Kyuhyun. “That is for you, Mark. And I’ll send you all the other photos I have on my laptop of Grace. She often forwarded me pictures of herself and other members of your family. You may be interested in them. It may take a while, but it’s entirely possible for you to build up a collection of photographs again.”

“Thank you,” Mark said, voice cracking. “Thank you, Kyuhyun.”

Kyuhyun made his way his way to the piano bench and sat on it wearily. “Of course, Mark. Of course.”

Kyuhyun was tapping out a quiet pattern on the piano when Mark told him softly, “You know things are different between us now, right? You know we can’t be the same now that you’ve made your accusation.”

Kyuhyun’s eyes didn’t rise from the keys of the piano. “I think that’s up to you, Mark.”

“Things feel different.”

The tempo of whatever Kyuhyun was playing picked up, though not loudly, and after a moment more, Kyuhyun said, “I think what you fail to realize is that I still, despite her passing, love Grace more than I care about your feelings. You can feel free to dislike me, or perhaps hate me eventually, and it won’t matter in the least to me. All I care about is keeping you, Grace’s only surviving sibling, alive.”

Mark took a tentative seat next to Kyuhyun on the piano bench and sighed deeply. More than ever he didn’t know what to think.

For the first night, the night before the ceremony, there was little for Mark to do. Kyuhyun disappeared hours after presenting Mark with the picture, and wasn’t seen again until the next night. That left Mark in the company of Henry and Zhou Mi and more vampire children than he could remember seeing in a long time.

“It’s only unsettling at first,” Zhou Mi promised him when Mark confided his feelings. “You’ll get used to them.”

Mark had a lot of second and third cousins, dozens of them even, but with vampire fertility rates so low, most of them were older. Traditionally young vampires were kept sheltered away, heavily protected and not amassed in such large numbers.

“It’s dangerous to have so many of them in one place,” Mark said fretfully, thinking of the humans who’s managed to take out fully grown vampire guards and even stronger purebloods. Children would be nothing but easy pickings.

Zhou Mi shrugged. “Kyuhyun’s father has been gathering the vampire children in the area for some time now. He’s called back all of his security, and it’s my belief he’s intending to protect these children from the human threat at all cost. Some vampires value things other than power, Mark.”

Mark guessed that was the other ten percent Kyuhyun had been talking about.

“It’s true,” Henry said, watching the same sight as Mark. There was an odd wetness to his eyes. “And I’d never trust a vampire who didn’t think our children are the most important thing in the world.”

More unpredictable than the number of children at the sprawling estate, was how easily Zhou mi interacted with them. Mark saw the progression of Zhou Mi’s interaction with them over the course of several hours. He indulged their endless questions, let them climb all over him when they were astounded by his height, and had boundless energy to chase them around.

Zhou Mi was very good with the children. It made Mark wonder if he was used to children, or if he was simply natural with them.

In any case, Mark could see quite clearly that Zhou Mi was father material. He was the kind of man who’d excel at being a father, and love every second of it, too.

And that was a very, very attractive notion towards the kind of future Mark eventually wanted to have.

If Mark had thought there were a lot of people at Kyuhyun’ home the night before the ceremony, the night of, saw an inane amount of new arrivals. Kyuhyun’s home had dozens and dozens of rooms, but within a few hours of the arrivals they were all filled to capacity, and even Mark ended up rooming with Henry and Zhou Mi so the more elder members of their council and community would have beds to rest in.

The ceremony itself hardly lived up to Mark’s expectations, but that was a good thing. It was fairly simply, taking place in the home’s largest room, hundreds of influential and important vampires packed into the space while the entire matter was presided over by Kyuhyun’s grandmother and previous head of family.

Kyuhyun’s father look the same as he had the last time Mark had seen him, at his previous meeting with the council. He was still a worn looking man, obviously in the middle of grieving from his loss, and barely concealing his frailty. He took Kyuhyun’s hands in his own as the event proceeded and, and after a few spoken words, in particular an oath from Kyuhyun, they were done.

“That’s it?” Mark asked Henry quietly when the group was dispatching for the after party and mingling in a way that Mark wanted no part in.

Henry delivered to Mark’s hands a glass of warm, fresh blood, which seemed more of an indulgence now than ever. 

With each passing moment, Mark was feeling even more confident that his cousin was not to be doubted. Henry looked at him with the utmost affection, hugged him without a hint of guilt, and spoke so easily to him that there was no way Henry had done anything to hurt him or their family.

“What were you expecting?” Henry asked with a laugh, an easy arm slung around Mark’s shoulders like always. “I know those old farts like their pomp and circumstance, but considering Kyuhyun just elevated himself to a position of danger, they’re not really looking to make a big deal of it. Especially considering the circumstances surrounding Kyuhyun taking his father’s place. Yours will be different.”

“Can I have the short ceremony? I want that one.”

He wanted to ask Henry where he’d gone, and why he’d taken Amber with him. He wanted to know why Zhou Mi had been privy to the information, but not Henry’s own cousin. 

But he didn’t. Because he trusted Henry, and he had faith that Henry would tell him when he was ready.”

Henry laughed again and said, “Sorry. No can do. Yours has to be something special. You’re an heir, Mark, and introductions are meant to show young purebloods off. It’s our very own debutant tradition.”

“Hardy-har.” Mark’s eyes drifted to Zhou Mi who absolutely had to be listening to their conversation, and said, “I don’t need to be shown off. I’ve already been matched.”

Zhou Mi perked visibly.

Henry looked absolutely gleeful.

“I just mean,” Mark tried, but only ended up sighing. “This introduction is going to be a long, boring thing, isn’t it?” Mark had been too young to attend Grace’s, and Tammy hadn’t wanted either of her too noisy, too embarrassing brothers at hers. Henry’s Mark barely remembered, especially after two glasses of stolen champagne. And Amber’s had been a direct family only affair.

Mark didn’t actually know what to expect.

“Long and boring,” Henry confirmed with a grimace. “But I’m here for you, cousin. We can suffer together. And hey, if it makes you feel better, we can force Zhou Mi to suffer with us.”

Zhou Mi said, a small grin on his face, “Misery loves company?”

Henry said sneakily, “More like Zhou Mi loves Mark.”

“Henry!” Mark snapped.

“Relax,” Henry said. Then he looked quizzical and pondered, “You still remember those dance lessons we had to take when we were kids, right?”

Warily, Mark asked, “Why?”

“Because,” Zhou Mi interjected with a bigger smile than before. “It’s tradition for the recently introduced to dance the first of the night with his or her chosen partner. And that means me, because we’re matched.”

“Dance,” Mark said glumly.

“Dance,” Zhou Mi repeated, less so.


	14. Fourteen

Mark returned to Hawthorne a day after Kyuhyun became the head of his family, no worse for wear, and without drama. It was nice, in Mark’s opinion, to know that he could still do things and go places without getting into trouble, or having trouble thrust upon him.

Going back to Hawthorne felt like going home in a sense, and it was a pleasing feeling to know that Hawthorne was so familiar to him now.

But most importantly, it meant that Mark could get back to his studies, and even better than that, back to Jackson.

“This bed is heaven,” Jackson declared, stretched across Mark’s bed almost obscenely.

Mark rolled to his side next to him, pressed a kiss to the corner of Jackson’s mouth, and said, “Don’t make me jealous of my own bed.” Then he rolled back, picked his book up and continued trying to cram in the last few chapters he needed for his literature class.

“Well, technically speaking, your bed is giving me way more love than you are at the moment.”

Mark was seconds away from responding when he felt Jackson’s hand at the small of his back. It was still for a moment, probably due to Jackson judging his response, then his fingers inched under Mark’s shirt and touched his bare skin. 

“You could change that.”

Jackson chuckled, then heaved himself up and onto Mark. His knees settled on either side of Mark’s waist and he leaned down to mumble in Mark’s ear, “Are you sure your cousin isn’t going to burst in here and defend your virginity?”

“He’d probably busy with Amber doing what you’re thinking of doing with me,” Mark hummed back, trying not to feel too thrilled as Jackson’s fingers worked deftly up the skin of his back, sliding down to his sides, and touching everywhere. “And if you ever want to touch me again, don’t tease me about my virginity.” It was nothing to be ashamed of, god knew he’d had the talk with both his parents about his future sex life, but neither did he really want his boyfriend making jokes about it. At least when Mark wasn’t sure about Jackson’s own sex life. Being a virgin wasn’t a big deal to Mark, considering he wasn’t even sixteen yet, but was it a big deal to Jackson? Mark didn’t know.

“Okay,” Jackson said, sounding sincere. “Whatever you want, babe.”

The book was important, Mark knew that at the back of his mind, but as he turned more strategically under Jackson, and leaned up to kiss him fully, it became almost inconsequential. He pushed his own fingers up under Jackson’s shirt, felt Jackson’s leg nudge between his and he simply let himself feel.

His parents had always said his hormones were going to do everything in their power to get the best of him, and that he needed to be mature in his decisions regarding the urges that would be overwhelming.

Mark thought they could have at least told him that when he has someone he cared about, like Jackson, and the urges were more than just overwhelming, that he wouldn’t give a damn about controlling them.

“Tell me,” Jackson’s voice rumbled pleasantly as the pads of his fingers smoothed out the skin on Mark’s hips, “if I do something you don’t like.” Then his lips were at Mark’s throat, and tongue and teeth and Mark mostly stopped thinking.

The problem was, Mark liked it all.

Half an hour later, feeling properly boneless and barely able to deal with the smug look Jackson was sending his way, Mark said, “I really have to finish reading these chapters.”

“Or,” Jackson said, wiggling his eyebrows. “I could give you another hickey.”

Was that what the ache at his neck was?

“Jackson!”

Jackson shrugged. “You didn’t seem to have a problem with it when I was giving it to you.”

Mark rolled from the bed immediately and headed for the nearest mirror. And like he’d been dreading, there was a bright red mark set low on the left side of his neck, one that promised to be purple by the next morning. “Great,” he huffed out.

“It’s only a hickey,” Jackson said, coming up behind Mark and wrapping him up in strong arms. 

Mark watched the picture they made in the mirror. They didn’t look like they went together as well as they did. They were like the moon and the sun, day and night. Jackson was all hype and excitement and Mark was far more settled and even tempered. In any other instance, Mark couldn’t see two people like them working. But oddly enough, they really did. They had plenty to talk about, a good deal of shared interests, and there was a strange, oddly alluring spark between them that only two people who were so opposite could actually share. 

Jackson was exciting. When Mark finally determined what it was about him that he liked best, it was that. There was nothing safe or predictable about Jackson. He was exciting. 

“And,” Jackson continued, bringing a finger up to brush over the mark. “I like the way it looks. It’ll tell everyone you’re mine.”

Mark gave Jackson a less than playful shove and said, “Maybe you could think about revisiting 2015 before you make a comment like that again?” It took a lot of Mark’s will power not to each up and touch the spot that he was too aware of now. “Plus, I’m more worried about the fact that in forty-eight hours I’m going to have a hundred pureblood vampires staring at me, and a lot of them are going to be my parent’s friends and business partners.”

He headed to the bed and picked up his book. He had a feeling, whether he and Jackson ended up making out again, his book was sort of a lost cause. He was too distracted by everything else to even begin to concentrate on the content.

“For that thing you have to do?” Jackson asked, throwing himself shamelessly back on Mark’s bed. “Your introduction?”

Mark frowned at him. “You didn’t have one, right?” Jackson was almost a full year older than him. Chances were, if he were going to have one, it would have already happened.

Jackson shook his head. “It’s not unheard of, but most vampires with mixed blood don’t. It’s a relic of the past to us. I went to JB’s, though. That was crazy, and more than enough to make me never want one.”

“Trust me,” Mark said, tossing his book to the nearby bedside table and climbing back on the bed with Jackson, “it’s the last thing I want to be doing right now.” He settled in easily to the bigger boy’s side and tried to get comfortable. Jackson had at least another hour before Mark had to let him go back to his room.

“Aren’t you like the head of your family now?” Jackson inquired.

“Technically I will be after this,” Mark said, his hand curling around Jackson’s bicep. “But I guess right now I am, too. It’ll just be completely official once I’ve had my introduction. Why?”

Jackson gave a dry laugh. “Because if you’re the head of your family, and you’re going to have all the power and control regardless of this introduction, why don’t you just do what you want?”

“Because,” Mark started, but wasn’t sure what kind of answer to give. The truth was that he was a little afraid of hurting his uncle if he bailed on the event. His uncle had spent the past week putting all of his time and energy into organizing it and he was more than a little excited. He was certainly more excited than Mark. But probably the real answer was more to the note that he wasn’t as strong and rebellious as Jackson was. Mark had always had a difficult time going against what people he cared about wanted. He was a people pleaser to a fault. 

Jackson’s hands smoothed over the back of Mark’s hair. “I know. You don’t have to say anything. I know you wouldn’t just call it off. But you shouldn’t have to do something that’ll make you uncomfortable, just to make someone else happy. That’s the definition of bullshit.”

“It’s one night,” Mark reasoned. “And unlike you, I don’t mind putting other people first. You could take a page from my book.”

Jackson mocked, “Take a page from my book. Do you even listen to yourself?”

“Jackson,” Mark said, a smile fighting its way to his face. He pinched Jackson heavily. “Altruism isn’t such a horrible concept.”

“Ah!” Jackson dislodged Mark easily, flinching away with his hands over his face. “Swear to me that’s not one of our vocabulary words for the week! That’s grounds for breaking up if you’re trying to sneak them in!”

These were the moments with Jackson that Mark liked the best. When it was just the two of them, easily joking with each other, so comfortable with the touches they gave each other.

“It is,” Mark said, truthfully just to hear Jackson wail on a little bit more.

When things had calmed down a little bit more, Jackson asked him, “You’ll only be gone for a few nights, right?”

“Thursday through Saturday,” Mark said, his words feeling more like a promise. “The introduction is Friday, and I’ll come back on Saturday--maybe Sunday at the latest.” He was still feeling guilty that he was leaving his boyfriend behind to go dance with the boy he was supposed to marry, at an event that essentially proclaimed him old enough for that to happen.

Giving a strong nod, Jackson said, “Good. Because Midterms are just after that, and then we get a two week break, and I was thinking maybe you’d want to come with me to Santa Monica.”

“What’s there?”

Jackson gave him a devilish smile. “My parent’s beach house, the one that they’ve stayed in once since buying fifteen years ago. I was kind of hoping you’d want to come and stay with me. I could show you the Santa Monica pier and we could rise the Ferris wheel and go to the beach and I know this guy who runs these dirt bike races that we have to get in on before it’s completely freezing outside.”

The way Jackson had phrased the request gave Mark pause. “You want me to come stay with you. Not you and your parents?”

Jackson said slowly, “I said it that way for a reason.”

“Do you …” Mark steadied himself. “Do you end up going to Santa Monica by yourself a lot over breaks?”

Jackson ticked off, “During school breaks, summer vacation, Christmas vacation, you name it. My parents … they’re just not around a lot. You don’t have to worry about running into them in Santa Monica if you come with me.”

Christmas. Mark wanted to shake someone. Jackson’s parents didn’t even spend Christmas with him. Jackson was alone all the time, at least any time he wasn’t at school, and that had to be so utterly lonely. What kind of parents could do that to their only child? What kind of parents felt no remorse abandoning their child?

“You don’t have to,” Jackson said hastily, interpreting Mark’s silence for disagreement. “Or you could bring that cousin of yours, and his hot girlfriend. My cousin Kris is totally into girls like her. It’d be awesome to watch him fall over himself trying to impress her and simultaneously avoid Henry going crazy on him.”

Seriously, Mark said, “I would love to come with you.” He hadn’t even started to think about what he’d do for holidays and breaks. He supposed he’d end up going with Henry and his uncle, but that would get burdensome. 

“I knew you would,” Jackson said smoothly, but his previous facial expression said anything but that. “Now all you have to do is survive that introduction of yours.”

Jackson’s words, unbeknownst to him, were poorly chosen. And Mark froze up right away.

He found himself asking Jackson, “Can I ask you something serious?”

“Wait.” Jackson held up a hand, massaged his jaw, then replied, “Okay, my serious face is ready. Hit me with it.”

“For real,” Mark said, sitting on the edge of his bed.

At the center of the bed Jackson sat up and crossed his legs under him. “Alright. For real.”

“What if,” Mark said, not sounding confident in the least bit, “someone you knew who had no reason to lie to you, and by who all accounts would be very loyal to your family because of an arranged marriage, told you something really bad and unbelievable?”

“What kind of bad?” Jackson asked.

Mark tried, “The kind of bad that could get someone you loved very much implicated in … an act of family betrayal, I guess you could call it. What if this person you trusted accused someone you love of hurting other people you loved? And betraying your family? Of being a traitor and all these horrible things that would forever change you.”

“This,” Jackson said slowly, “isn’t hypothetical?”

His throat tightening up, Mark requested, “Please, just tell me what you’d do.”

“I would … I don’t know.” Jackson looked a little lost. “But this person telling me this, he or she doesn’t have any reason to lie?”

Mark shook his head. “Nothing would be gained. And he would … he or she would have ended up being family eventually. And being loyal to you no matter what.”

“But this accusation would destroy someone I love? And maybe even me a little?”

Mark nodded this time. “Absolutely.”

Jackson leaned an elbow on one knee and braced his chin under his palm. He was silent for several minutes, some of which Mark wasn’t sure he breathed completely through. Then Jackson said, “I’d probably ignore the person doing the accusing. I’d deny it. I’d stick up for the person I loved. I’d do whatever it took to protect the person I loved and stop anyone from spreading lies.”

Mark sagged a little. “You would?”

Jackson held up a sharp finger. “At first.”

“Because,” Mark added, understanding all too quickly, “it’s the natural first response, when someone you love is being threatened. Then? After?”

A dark glint settled into Jackson’s eyes. “Then I would go hunting for the truth myself. I’d do anything to uncover it, even if it meant I had to be the one to end up hurting the person I loved. Because if there was even a chance that the love I had for this person, was based off of, or contaminated by a lie, I’d have to know. I would even hurt myself to find out.”

Mark lunged forward, catching an unsuspecting Jackson around the middle. He tackled the both of them back onto the bed and hugged him tightly. 

“What’s wrong?” Jackson asked, a hand running up and down Mark’s back. “Who’s accusing someone you love? What’s the situation? You can tell me.”

He really couldn’t. But despite that, Jackson had given Mark something incredible. He’d give him courage, and the ability to consider for just once second that Kyuhyun might be telling the truth about his uncle.

If he wasn’t, if Kyuhyun was wrong and his uncle got hurt because of the accusations, Mark would destroy him. He’d make it his personal mission in life to bring Kyuhyun down. 

But if he was right …

Jackson was absolutely correct. Not knowing wasn’t an option. The truth had to be exposed, whatever it was. Even if it meant his uncle was a murderer and responsible for killing his family. Even if it decimated the love and memories they had, and killed Mark’s relationship with Henry.

Mark was resolved to fight for the truth now. Especially before the vote.

“Thank you,” Mark told Jackson, kissing him deeply. 

Jackson’s hands drifted dangerously close down Mark’s backside and Mark didn’t manage to catch his breath enough to speak again until Jackson’s phone was beeping at him as a reminder for curfew.

“That’s you,” Mark said, playfully nudging him. “Half an hour until curfew. And you know I’ve got plenty of eyes watching me right now, with my introduction so close. Plenty of people saw you come in my room. They’re going to know if you don’t go out on time.”

“Fine,” Jackson grunted out, shuffling across the room to where his school bag was resting near Mark’s laptop and books. “But we need to schedule some serious cuddle and makeout time. The kind without restrictions, or your creepy cousin lurking around keeping tabs on how much time I spend with you behind closed doors.”

Mark rolled his eyes. “Firstly, don’t call Henry creepy, and be thankful he’s mostly settled into the idea that we’re more than very chaste friends. And secondly, there is nothing romantic about scheduling a makeout session. We are not doing that.”

“Then we need to--” Jackson broke off as he lifted his bag, bumping Mark’s laptop roughly and sending most of the things on Mark’s desk sprawling to the floor. “Shit!” Jackson dropped down right away, reaching for the overturned books and papers.

“You are so clumsy,” Mark remarked, but it was light in tone. “It’s just some books. Don’t worry about it.”

“Sorry,” Jackson said again, giving Mark an apologetic look. “I think your laptop’s okay, though. It better be. That thing is worth more than everything I own put together.”

Mark gave the laptop a quick look over and reported, “It’s perfectly fine.” Even if it wasn’t, it was only a material possession. Things were mattering less and less to Mark, as opposed to people. “Leave the rest of it. I’m serious. After I walk you to the door I have to come back and at least outline the next paper I’m going to write before bed.”

“Alright,” Jackson said slowly, hefting his backpack up on one shoulder. But then he bent one last time and held up a flash drive the size of his thumb, remarking, “Almost missed this.”

Mark openly frowned at the device. It wasn’t the blue flash drive that he had most of his school work backed up on, and it wasn’t the decorative Iron Man USB that Henry had lent him with a ton of movies on.

“Is this mine?” Mark asked, taking the flash drive from Jackson. “It was on the desk with everything else?”

Jackson nodded. “You don’t recognize it?”

Truthfully, Mark didn’t. But so much had happened over the past few weeks, he’d lost track of many things. It was entirely possible he’d picked up extra storage space for his laptop, and didn’t recall it in the least bit.

“Plug it in and check,” Jackson said with a shrug, gesturing to Mark’s laptop. He reached to move a couple of things out of the way. “Because now I’m curious.”

Mark popped the cap off the flash drive and slotted it into his computer. “It’s probably just a bunch of school work. Or music. Henry gave me some movies to watch in my free time, but I remember Amber saying something about gifting me music that she likes to listen to while studying.”

Mark leaned closer to the laptop as a series of documents popped up on the screen, numbers blurring together in endless streams.

“That’s not music,” Jackson remarked.

He was right, but what was it?

Several names of the business his parents had had stakes in, or owned completely, appeared on the screen, and Mark exclaimed, “Oh, I know what this is now!” His eyes flickered over to Jackson. “After we were attacked, when you were still in the hospital, the council sent their official junior scribe to see me--to get my statement.” Lu Han. They’d sent Zhou Mi’s family member, and that encounter had ended poorly. “That’s when I got this. I’d forgotten about it until now.”

Mark felt even worse now when he thought about. Because Lu Han had been a real jerk about what he’d said to Mark, the words hadn’t exactly been unfounded. Especially now that Mark was starting to have conflicting feelings about Zhou Mi.

“That still doesn’t explain what all this is,” Jackson pointed out. “But holy shit, those are a lot of numbers.”

Mark moved the cursor along the laptop’s touch pad, dragging away several business documents to bring up a financial report.

“It’s the previous year’s account ledger for my parent’s investments,” Mark said, and he was confident that was what he was looking at.

“That’s a lot of money moving around,” Jackson whistled out.

“Yeah,” Mark agreed, scrolling down the spreadsheet. He wasn’t sure about the details of the information, but there were hundreds and hundreds of transactions documented. “I guess I never realized it, or paid much attention to it, but my parents worked full time. My dad managed the finances, my mom managed all the properties they owned, and they still made time to be active on the council. It’s amazing now that I think about it.”

“Is that …” Jackson broke off, a finger shooting out to the screen. “Is that how much your family is worth?” There was awe and surprise on his face.

Mark followed his finger. “Ah … no. I don’t think that’s my family’s worth.”

“Because that would be insane if you were worth that much.”

Suddenly Mark was very uncomfortable with the conversation at hand. “Jackson, I’m pretty sure that’s just the net worth and tallied profit for the previous year. There are records going back twenty years, and each one is broken into a twelve month period.”

Jackson took a step back and sat heavy on the edge of Mark’s bed. “I knew you were worth money, but that is … Mark.”

Mark slid into the seat in front of his laptop and looked closer at the numbers. “My parents were incredibly business savvy. They worked all the time, and they invested wisely. They knew that real money was in owning property and businesses tied to that, so it’s what they did. I don’t know anything about this. I’d ruin all my parent’s hard work straight into the ground if I tried.”

“I know most pureblood vampire families are wealthy,” Jackson said, lying back on the bed with a deep sigh, “but you’re breaking the mold here, Mark.”

It was kind of scary to see the numbers, especially when he started going back years and years. It wasn’t a recent development. All the money that his parents had--all the money that Mark now had, was build continuously.

What the hell was he supposed to do with all that money? How was he going to handle it? What about the businesses that his parents had been responsible for? Mark didn’t know how to manage large sums of money, or liquidate certain assets for reconsolidation, and he was completely ignorant about the stock market and investment banking.

“I’ve got to get a financial advisor,” Mark eased out. Because all the money, the endless stream of numbers that represented all the wealth his family had all over the globe, would be his responsibility once he was introduced. “I have to get someone who knows how to handle all this, and won’t screw me over.”

Mark didn’t care so much about the money. Not really. He had all that he wanted already. But he also wasn’t willing to let all his parent’s hard work be squandered. 

Jackson sat up suddenly. “I just had a thought.”

“About what?” Mark asked, turning away from the computer.

Tapping his chin thoughtfully, Jackson said in a whimsical voice, “I just realized that considering how much you’re worth, and how you could probably buy a large island if you wanted, you’re kind of my sugar daddy.”

Mark gave him a flat look. “I need you to not think right now.”

Mark and Jackson had been out on a few, tentative dates since their first failed one. And each time Jackson had paid for everything. Mark had let him, because it was something that mattered to Jackson and not to Mark. But Jackson had known the whole time that Mark had some money, even if he hadn’t know exactly how much. And he still hadn’t let Mark pay for anything. 

Launching himself up and off the bed, Jackson pattered over to Mark’s side, kissed the top of his head and said, “I want you to know that I am fully prepared to trade sexual favors for spending money. Baby wants a pink corvette, daddy.”

“Go,” Mark commanded, pushing at Jackson. He got up himself and walked Jackson over to the front door to his rooms. “I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”

Jackson snuck a second kiss, this one to Mark’s lips, and flashed him a thumbs up. “See you later. Now, let me go navigate your scary watchdogs who will probably growl at me and be super mean.”

Jackson disappeared through the door and Mark leaned on it for a half second, watching him head off past nameless guards who were stationed in the hallway outside. 

There was no growling, but there were dirty looks. Mark would have to do something about that.

After Jackson left Mark headed back to his laptop, heavily intrigued by the documents that had been stored on the flash drive.

A half hour later he was starting to feel tired, and sunrise was only an hour or so away. But he was wading his way through the backlog of information he should have already spent plenty of time reviewing, and he couldn’t find a good place to stop.

He was almost ten years into the history of his parent’s public finances when he caught the first thing that looked like an irregularity. 

For the most part all of his parent’s business transactions were in the six figure range. Occasionally there was a purchase or a sell for several million dollars more, but it was apparent to Mark that his parent had made money by the sheer size and number of their investments, and not in any one or two large business endeavors. 

There were also logs of loans and repayments between the council families. Several times a year it seemed Mark’s parents had given a considerable sum of money to one of the other families, and then seen it repaid in interest. There were certainly some families that received these transactions more often than others, but almost all of them were accounted for except for the thirteenth.

Mark had to double check twice before he was confident in seeing that there wasn’t a single transaction between the fourth and thirteenth families. Zhou Mi’s family. At least until nearly a decade ago. And even then, it seemed to be a one time deal.

The shock came at the number attached to the transaction information from almost ten years previous.

The number didn’t make any sense.

And Mark had to know what it meant.

He slept fitfully after that, money and numbers on his mind, and rose early, just after the sun went down, hoping to catch Henry before he went off to the first meal of the day. Henry had a habit of slipping out to see Amber before Mark was even ready to leave his dorm room, but Mark needed answers, and he was determined.

Flash drive in hand, Mark stepped out of his dorm room with a yawn, giving a polite nod to the vampires on watch. His eyes strayed to Kyuhyun’s door just down the hall. Kyuhyun hadn’t come back to school with Mark and the rest of them. Mark wasn’t even sure if Kyuhyun would ever come back. He’d only been bidding his time anyway, until he became the head of his family, and Henry said that he was taking filler classes more than anything else, having already established enough credits for his degree.

It would probably work out that Kyuhyun would be like Siwon, not returning to school in any major capacity, if at all. And that saddened Mark. Kyuhyun, no matter how tense their relationship at the moment, had always been a friend and ally. Losing him, or at least a close proximity to him, was a heavy blow.

“Going out for the first meal?” the vampire nearest Mark asked, a head taller, maybe twice as wide, and a serious expression on his face. It was taking some getting used to, having visible shadows. In the past the men his uncle had assigned to him had stayed out of view. Now they were everywhere.

Min had told Mark that they were making some of the other students nervous. Mark couldn’t blame them.

“Just going to see my cousin,” Mark replied back. “You don’t need to follow. And yes, I’ll be back soon.”

They’d follow him anyway, at least six of them never more than a dozen feet away, but Mark decided they all needed time to learn boundaries. A work in progress was a work in progress.

Mark took the stairs down to Henry’s floor, and made his way through the quiet halls quickly. He passed one other vampire, a boy he didn’t know by name, and gave Zhou Mi’s door a hard look, before arriving in front of Henry’s room and knocking sharply.

“I’m always happy to see you,” Henry said after answering the door and inviting him inside. “But cousin, you being awake and dressed at this time of night is probably one of the signs of the coming apocalypse. Are you bringing word of said end of times?”

Mark gave Henry a dark look. “You should be aware, I’m still half asleep. And right now, my brain can’t process your sarcastic wit. You should stop while you’re ahead.”

Henry laughed and asked, “What brings you down to my lowly room?”

From his pocket, Mark pulled out the flash drive and held it up. “I want you to take a look at something. I need to ask you a few questions.”

It only took a minute or two for the flash drive to be connected to Henry’s nearby laptop, and the same spreadsheets and legal documents to come up.

Henry was quiet for a while as he looked everything over, and then said decisively, “These are your parents records--the ones that the council has access to. Mark, it’s nice to see you taking an interest in your future endeavors. But I’m not sure what you want me to look at.”

Future endeavors. Mark really hoped his future wouldn’t entail having to speak to a board of directors, or manage a portfolio, or anything equally as dry.

“I was browsing the financial records,” Mark said, leaning over Henry’s shoulder. His cousin was seated at his desk and made it easy for Mark to squeeze in with him. “I mean, I barely know what half these things are, but I was looking at the steady ebb and flow. It’s all pretty steady, even going back years.”

Henry nodded. “My father worked pretty closely with your mother on the financial end--even your dad. It’s likely the only subject those two every got along over.”

Mark continued, “See, half a million here, two million there, and so on and so forth. Every transaction is between roughly half a million and three or four. Hardly ever less than that, and rarely more. Even the money shifting between families is steady--there’s a pattern of sorts really.”

“So what’s got you all twisted up? I can see it on your face.”

“Here.” Mark moved the spreadsheet information back significantly. “This is the record for nine, almost ten years ago. Again, it’s normal for a little. But this. Look at this. There’s this one transaction. It has to be a misprint, right? It can’t be real.”

Henry slumped a little. “I-I don’t know, Mark. I never helped my father with this sort of thing. Secretly, I think he thought it was too stupid to help out. I’ve never shown an aptitude for numbers.”

“Then I’ll take your honest opinion,” Mark said, feeling stress mount. “I want to know what you could possibly make of my parents transferring one hundred million dollars to the thirteenth family. Obviously there’s no context to the information presented here, and there’s no record of the sum ever being paid back. So I’m at a loss. Why would my parents give the thirteenth family such a huge amount of money--one hundred million dollars--out of the kindness of their hearts?”

Henry pushed away suddenly from the computer, turning way from Mark. “I really don’t know, Mark. But hey, if it’s something that really interests you, you might want to ask my father the next time you see him. He’ll know for sure.”

There was an odd thinness to Henry’s voice. Mark didn’t like it one bit.

“Henry?”

“You want to walk to the cafeteria with me? We haven’t eaten together in a while.”

Mark straightened up. “Henry.”

“What would it even matter?” Henry asked, puttering around the room. “Your parents always knew what they were doing with their money. Trust in that.”

“One hundred million dollars,” Mark ground out. “That is an asinine amount of money. I want to know why it went to the thirteenth family and why.”

“Then ask my father,” Henry said, finally rounding back on Mark. “Don’t ask me.”

The realization slammed into Mark. “You know.”

“I don’t,” Henry denied right away.

They held an intense staring match for quite a few seconds before Mark reminded, “You withheld important information from me before. You didn’t tell me something that ended up hurting me. I forgave you, but it’s a sting I’m going to carry with me for a very long time. Do you want a repeat of that?”

Henry’s lips pulled tightly together and he looked to absolutely be holding his ground. But then he said quickly, “I’m not supposed to say anything. You’re still technically not an adult.”

“I knew you knew,” Mark stated. Henry always knew more than he let on. “Tell me.”

“I swore I wouldn’t,” Henry said quietly.

“I don’t care what you promised your father.” 

“Not my father,” Henry said shaking his head slowly. “I promised Zhou Mi. He has rarely asked anything of me. So I want you to know that if I say anything to you, I’m betraying him in a way.”

“I don’t want to hurt Zhou Mi,” Mark said back right away.

Henry continued for him, “But you suspect it has to do with you. The money.”

Mark had. Almost from the start. He’d just be scared to acknowledge the fear.

“It does,” Henry admitted. “Come on, Mark. You know what the date of this transfer matches up to.”

Mark’s mouth, feeling dry and course, barely managed to get out, “The transaction is about a week from when Zhou Mi and I were formally matched by our respective families. I’ve looked up the date of that. And it corresponds almost perfectly.” Mark palmed his hand over his eyes and said regretfully. “The one hundred million dollars is my parent’s selling price.”

Henry edged his way back to Mark and interjected, “Actually, that’s the bride price that Zhou Mi came with.”

Mark’s gaze jerked to him. “Bride price?”

Waving his hand dismissively, Henry clarified, “It’s just called that, regardless of the gender of the person at hand. And to be specific, it’s the price your parents paid to Zhou Mi’s family so that they could secure the match. It’s what the thirteenth family decided Zhou Mi was worth.”

It was a lot of money, but any kind of money, in Mark’s opinion, was unfair to equate to a life.

“So,” Mark said slowly, “the fourth family gave the thirteenth family a hundred million dollars in return for their son for me. That’s what this is?”

Henry tried to give him a comforting look. “It’s not unheard of, Mark. The council highly discourages dowries and anything of the sort, but usually something passes between families when children are matched. You parents surely got something out of Grace’s match with Kyuhyun. It’s just the way things are done.”

Saddened at the entire thing, Mark asked, “What about the fourth family? If the thirteen got such a huge amount of money, what did the fourth get?” In technical terms, at least in the general scheme of things, Mark was surely valued higher than Zhuo Mi. He would have been even without rising to the position of heir, and then head of his family. Mark added, “Furthermore, what kind of a ridiculous price is a hundred million dollars? Who could need or want that much money.”

Henry gave a sour expression. “It’s not something that’s really talked about, even though everyone knows, but the head of the thirteenth family … he’s got a problem of sorts.”

“A problem?”

“A money problem,” Henry said flatly. “He blows through it like he’s got an endless amount, or as if it were something he’s currently replenishing. He’s not. Mark, don’t get caught gossiping about this with someone who’ll rat you out, but when I say he’s got a money problem, I mean he’s got a gambling problem. He’s run the thirteenth family into the ground. They’re near broke completely. All of them. It’s why they treat their kids like they do. They treat their children like cash cows.”

Kyuhyun had said that of all the families, the thirteenth was the worst in valuing their members--that Zhou Mi was essentially chattel. This had to be what he’d meant. 

“Is that why the thirteenth wanted so much money?”

“Maybe they thought Zhou Mi was worth it, or whatever else they got out of it.”

That, Mark couldn’t deny.

“Anyway,” Henry added. “That money is all gone now. You wouldn’t think you’d be able to spend a hundred million dollars in nine years, but it was gone within two. That’s the sad part, I guess. Zhou Mi got sold like livestock to our family, and his family didn’t even really benefit from it for long.”

Mark’s eyes fell and he tried to imagine what it was like. He’d been so valued and so loved by his family. But it seemed Zhou Mi hadn’t.

What was it like to have one’s entire worth placed on an arranged marriage?

And what did that make Mark for reneging on it?

“I’m not sure what our family got out of your match,” Henry cut in, interrupting Mark’s thoughts. “But it had to be something good. It had to be something equivalent to a hundred million dollars.”

Mark reached over and pulled the flash drive from the computer, closing down all the documents and spreadsheets. “Don’t worry. I won’t ask him about this. I won’t pry.”

“Thanks,” Henry huffed out. “I think this whole matter hurts Zhou Mi’s feelings. He has got them, you know.”

“I know,” Mark said grumpily. He knew all too well now.

“So are you satisfied?” Henry asked. “Do you have your answers?”

“Some.”

“Then do you want breakfast?”

Mark put the flash drive in his pocket. “I don’t have much of an appetite right now, honestly.” He would rather climb back in to bed and lay around, missing the first meal completely. Meal time meant getting to sit with Jackson and his friends, but foregoing it meant extra nap time. For Mark, who was constantly stressed and worried now, sleep was invaluable.

“Henry,” Mark said as he headed towards the front door. “I’ve got to start learning about how my parents managed all this money, and how they made it for that matter. Do you think uncle will teach me? I know he’s very busy, but we’re running out of time.”

Henry looked optimistic. “He likes you better than he likes me. If you ask, there’s a good chance. Hell, he likes his illegitimate children more than he likes me.”

“Henry!” Mark felt himself go light headed. “We don’t speak …we can’t …”

Henry looked absolutely livid as he spat back, “Yes, I’m very much aware of that Mark, thank you.”

Every family had a dark secret. That was something Mark heard countless times. Every family had at least one. And his own had more than one. Two, actually.

Henry’s very illegitimate half brother and sister were quite the contentious topic among family members, and also the most protected secret Mark could think of. Mark had never seen them, knew only that they lived in Canada, and past knowing their names, had no information on them. 

But the feelings associated with the dark secret were only bad ones. And their existence, more importantly their ages, would wreck the fourth family given the opportunity. Even Mark knew, without being told, that the fact that they existed, had to be suppressed like the dirtiest of secrets. There was no other option.

“I should go,” Mark said, ducking his head down low. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

“Ask my father,” Henry called after him. “He will help you with this, Mark. He doesn’t do the best job in the world showing that he cares, but he does love you.”

“Henry,” Mark replied back to him firmly. “He loves you too.”

Henry made a soft, nondescript sound.

Mark reached for the door handle and admitted honestly, “I don’t like the idea of having all this money as my responsibility. I don’t even like money all that much to begin with. It’s nice enough, I suppose, but I don’t really care about it. But knowing exactly how much money this family deals in, is kind of suffocating. Maybe it’ll suffocate me to death.”

Henry offered, “I’d like you to keep breathing, if at all possible, cousin. I do love you. But hey, if it did happen, at least you know the money would be in good hands with this family. We can handle our finances.”

That struck Mark, and made him ask. “If I die, who does all this money go to? Who gets control of it all?”

There was a contemplative look on Henry’s face before he said simply, “It’s my father. Now that I think about it, it’s him.”


	15. Fifteen

For as long as it had been looming in the distance, Mark’s introduction was upon him faster than he could have possibly imagined. 

“You’re going to do great,” Jackson said the last free moments they had together before Mark absolutely had to leave. In fact he knew he was probably holding everyone up, but it wasn’t as if they could leave without him, and for some odd reason, he was starting to feel a separation anxiety of sorts from Jackson. There was something very uncomfortable about going away from Jackson, especially when Mark suspected his feelings for the other vampire were starting to deepen.

When he’d looked at Jackson before, there’d been fondness and sexual attraction and all the things that two people normally had between them when dating. But lately there’d been something else, too. And it was something much more than Mark had ever felt for another person before.

“I don’t have to do much,” Mark corrected, fiddling a bit with the zipper on his jacket. “I didn’t plan this introduction, and when it happens, I mostly just have to stand there and look happy it’s occurring.”

“And come back a badass, super powerful vampire.”

Mark sighed. “I think I don’t have to tell you that I don’t crave power. I don’t want to have control over the lives of the people in my family. And the responsibility is … burdensome.”

“And,” Jackson drawled out, linking their fingers, “I shouldn’t have to tell you that’s why you’re going to be really good at it.”

Flatly Mark replied, “Because I hate the idea of being in charge?”

“Because that means it’s way less likely the power will go to your head.” Jackson tugged him a little closer and kissed his mouth sweetly. “The best people to have power, are the ones who are reluctant to have it in the first place. It means you’ll think a lot before you exercise it, or you probably won’t abuse it.”

Mark blinked slowly at him. “That’s very insightful of you.”

Jackson kissed Mark’s mouth once more. “I’m not super smart like you or JB. But I’m not stupid, either. And better than that, I know you, Mark. I know what kind of person you are. So if I’m not worried that you’ll mishandle that power or do something wrong with it, you shouldn’t be either.”

Mark sucked in a deep breath, chest swelling, and then he wrapped his arms around Jackson’s shoulders and hugged him tightly. “Thank you,” he mumbled, smashing his face into Jackson’s neck. He hadn’t known how badly he needed to hear those words until just now.

Jackson’s own arms embraced him back. “No problem.”

A knock sounded gently from Mark’s door.

“That’s your cue,” Jackson said, the scruff of his stubble brushing against Mark’s much more cleanly shaven face. “Now go kick some ass, and I’ll see you in a few days.”

Mark instantly felt stronger, and for the first time, like he could pull his introduction off.

His introduction was scheduled to take place in Vermont. Mark’s uncle owned a house there, a strategically placed home surrounded by a thicket of trees on three sides, and a huge lake on the other. There was one road in and one road out, and notoriously difficult to reach if you didn’t already know your way. More than anything else, that was probably the reason Mark’s introduction had been moved to Vermont. Mark was certain there’d be dozens of very important vampires in attendance, and at least a couple of council members. The reassurance of safety was more than important.

The plane ride was long and horribly boring, punctuated by Henry desperately trying to cram in school work he’d fallen behind with, Amber sleeping, and Zhou Mi occupied with his book. Mark probably could have talked to any one of them, or done his own school work or watched a movie. But doubt was starting to creep back up on him, and it was debilitating to say the least.

A few hours into the flight Zhou Mi took pity on him, glanced at Mark over the top of his book and said, “You have nothing to be worried about. Less even to be nervous over. Do you want me to walk you through the ceremony?”

Mark gave an appreciative nod, moving away from Amber and Henry to the other side of the private plane to where Zhou Mi was seated. It gave them the illusion of privacy at least.

“Not much is required on your part,” Zhou Mi told him quietly, marking his place in his book and then giving Mark his full attention. “A majority of council members will be present among the guests, considering the nature of the circumstances surrounding your introduction. Your uncle will announce to the gathered guests that he is the one presenting you in lieu of your parents. You’ll have a customary drink, likely champagne, give a short speech about upholding your family’s honor, and then food will be served in an effort to prove your family’s opulence. Afterwards there’ll be some dancing, because no pureblood vampire in attendance over the age of fifty will be able to resist pretending like we’re not still living in the seventeenth century, and because we’re matched, you and I will share the first of the night.”

Mark gave him a heavy look. “ And you think I don’t have anything to be worried over?”

“No,” Zhou Mi said with a grin. “Because if you manage to get through the first part, and the dance, no one will even remember that you’re supposed to be the star of the night. Trust me, I’ve been to many of these, and the guests will ply themselves heavily with alcohol and by the time the sun rises they’ll be absolutely convinced that each and every one of them is the reason for the party.”

Mark leaned his head back against the seat and clenched his fingers. “What if I trip? Or say something stupid?”

“Then,” Zhou Mi said, reaching out to lay his hand over Mark’s, “everyone will simply smile and pretend like they saw or heard nothing. What I think you are failing to realize is that an introduction is more than a convenient excuse for a party among purebloods. You will be considered a man after your introduction. An adult. Your family will once again have an adult at the head of it, and the amount of power you are about to inherit is something far beyond what you currently comprehend. The others will recognize that.”

Mark closed his eyes. “Just what I didn’t want. More power and responsibility.”

Zhou Mi squeezed Mark’s hand. “At least be thankful you and I are matched. Were you an available bachelor for your introduction, you might not survive the night. Because I will be there, many of the vampires attending will not bring their eligible children. It’s one thing you’ve managed to escape. I suspect this will be the one and only time you value our match”

“I don’t,” Mark started turning his wrist so he could hold Zhou Mi’s hand properly, “want you to think that I’m rejecting you for a frivolous reason. I’m not dismissing our match because I’m a teenager with a teenage boyfriend who I stupidly think I’m going to end up marrying or something like that. I just want to be free, Zhou Mi. There’s nothing in my life that comes close to freedom, but to get to pick who I love and marry, that’s something I’m willing to fight for.”

Mark watched Zhou Mi’s Adam’s apple bob for a moment. Then Zhou Mi posed, “You wish to choose with your heart?”

“I do,” Mark said. “When I’m older and ready, I want to pick the person I spend the rest of my life with, whether it’s Jackson or someone else. I think I need to.”

Zhou Mi posed, “And if I were me?”

“Huh?”

Zhou Mi looked away from him, seemingly relaxing more in his plush seat. “You’ll spend several more years at the academy, regardless of what you inherit tonight. I’ll be taking classes for another year and a half. That is quite an amount of time to build a repertoire. Later on in life I assume we will continue our friendship, and I ask you, what will your answer be if ten years from now that friendship turns into something more?”

Zhou Mi’s side profile was stunning, even in the poor light of the plane. It was something Mark could hardly look away from as he found himself replying hoarsely, “Then I would choose you. I would marry you, if we were in love.”

Zhou Mi said nothing back, but the smile on his face was telling enough.

It took several more hours for Mark and the others to reach the small, private airport nearest his uncle’s estate, and almost forty-five minuets by car to turn down the long, twisty road that led up to the house. 

Mark peered up at the huge, imposing house from the car window and felt even more apprehension build. He was familiar with his uncle’s bungalow in Bali, the flat in London, the country house in Kyoto and the loft in Berkeley. Those were all places Mark had visited over the years, and they’d always been compact and well lived in and full of history. This house felt different. It was almost ghostly in how hollow it seemed. Though it was certainly big enough for the two hundred and fifty expected guests in little more than a day.

“Mark!” his uncle called, quickly crossing the distance to the car when they’d fully arrived.

Mark popped open the door and tried his best to smile He hugged his uncle strongly, conveyed his appreciation, and all the while he couldn’t shake the question of what he would do if his uncle was not the man Mark had thought he was.

Thursday was spent with Mark keeping out of the way. He called Jackson and assured him he’d arrived safely, and actually managed to finish a good deal of the homework he’d brought with him. When that was done, he kept mostly to his room, the lavish space fully furnished and a comfortable enough place to be lazy.

He spent a lot of time at the bedroom window, too. It overlooked the front driveway of the house, and afforded Mark a clear view of all the comings an goings that were currently happening. A veritable hurricane was apparently touching down on the house in the form of florists and caterers and a hundred other people on the property setting up for the coming party. For hours Mark saw them arriving, ushered off the huge room to the east of the house where Mark would have his introduction. 

And when that was boring, Mark only able to laze around for so long, he decided to slip past Henry who was constantly arguing with his father, and Amber who was haunting the kitchen in a regular manner. Either of them would have been decent enough company, but something was different. Ever since Henry and Amber had disappeared for a few days, something had felt odd. Mark couldn’t begin to put his finger on what that oddness was, but Henry was in conflict with his father more now that Mark had ever seen before, and Amber was much more quiet that usual. She seemed subdued in some way, and Mark didn’t like it one bit.

With all the chaos going on around the house, Mark was easily able to slip away and take the dirt path that led away from the property. He followed it not knowing where it would go, but unable to stand the stifling intensity of the house.

As it turned out, the path curved down through the thicket of trees for quiet a while. There was no telling where it was going, but eventually it brought Mark down to the nearby lake. His feet hit the dock attached to the nearby boat house seconds later and Mark breathed in the smell of fresh air that was absolutely a comfort.

He made his way down the dock to the edge of the platform and put his hands on his hips. Some memories of his family were fading, and that was heartbreaking, but there were other memories that were stronger than ever. Mark could very clearly remember the trips to the lake his family would take when he was young and they’d lived in Northern California. Joey had only been a baby at the time, but they were some of the best memories he had.

“I’d wondered where you went off to.”

Mark didn’t turn at the even words from Zhou Mi.

Instead, Mark looked out over the mostly still water of the lake, the moon shinning on it, and thought about how much he wanted to go swimming in it.

He offered to Zhou Mi, “Things are tense back at the house. I was feeling suffocated.”

Zhou Mi’s feet clunked against the wood of the dock as the grew nearer. “Your uncle is very …insistent that everything go perfectly tomorrow.”

Mark huffed, “I just want it to be over. You know I don’t like these big shows of status or power or wealth.”

Zhou Mi stepped up next to him. “You’re going to have to get used to it.”

“Or just pass those responsibilities onto my uncle. He seems to be good at all of this. Maybe this can be his thing--keeping the family in the best social circles and up to date and visible to the vampire community.”

“While you just sit back and make the hard decisions?”

Mark tensed. “I hope there won’t be a lot of those.”

Mark turned to look at Zhou Mi as the man said, “I know this seems very overwhelming to you right now. There is an immense amount of pressure on your shoulders and you’re only just beginning to comprehend how stressful the rest of your life will be. But it will get better. You will get older, and be more adept in these issues. You won’t always feel like this.”

That did feel like the truth, but still Mark said, “I wish I was as confident as you.”

Zhou Mi’s hand rested gently on Mark’s shoulder. “Dole out responsibilities as you see fit. Your parents never managed everything on their own. They knew how to divide and conquer. But they never, Mark, never lost control. You can do whatever you like as the head of your family, as auspicious as that sounds, but never lose control. Always maintain it, no matter the cost.”

Mark frowned in confusion. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Mouth pressed tightly, Zhou Mi didn’t answer. That made everything much more ominous. 

But Mark had learned by now that Zhou Mi would often keep things close to his chest and not share for various reasons. He wasn’t a closed off type, or deliberately standoffish, but when he decided something, it was hard to budge him. It was usually worthless to try.

So instead Mark said, “When I was little, I lived with my parents in Northern California, near Tahoe for a few years. In the winter, that meant lots of skiing and ice skating and cool things like that. But the summer was better. The summer was all about going to the lake and having barbeques and outdoor concerts. Sometimes there’d be all three in one night and it was the best part of the year. I learned to swim at that lake. I miss that lake.”

“You could go back,” Zhou Mi pointed out. “The best part of the responsibility you’re about to take on, is that you’ll have the ability to be very mobile. You’ll still be required to complete your formal education, but it doesn’t have to be at Hawthorne. You might consider relocating to Tahoe, hiring the services of a private tutor, and enjoying your summer nights at the lake again.”

It was appealing. But it probably wouldn’t be the same. Most of what had made those nights at the lake special, had been having his whole family there. “It would be different.”

“I know it’s not the same,” Zhou Mi said, capturing Mark’s attention, “but do you want to go out?”

“Go out where?”

Zhou Mi jogged the short distance to the nearby boat house and pushed open one of the rolling doors. Inside Mark could see several rowboats, a kayak, and rows of lifejackets. “The lake? It’s not the same as the one in Tahoe, but we’ve got some time to kill. We can go out for a little if you want.” He was already pulling the rowboat to the edge of the boathouse, the medium sized craft bobbing in the water.

“Can we?” Mark asked. “I don’t know if my uncle would like that. He’s very fussy about his things.”

Zhou Mi arched an eyebrow. “You realize this is your house, technically.”

Mark’s face scrunched up. “Technically.”

Tethering off the boat at the edge of the dock, Zhou Mi headed back to the life jackets and plucked two off the wall. He tossed one to Mark and put the other on himself. “All of your family’s money is yours, whether you earn it or not. That’s just the way the system operates. It’s absolutely your responsibility to keep each and every member of your family, no matter how distant the tie, well fed, clothed and at least moderately happy, but in return you oversee the family’s assets. Your uncle’s money is your money, Mark. This house is yours, even if he calls it his own.”

Mark snapped the buckles on the lifejacket slowly. “Well, I don’t have any interest in taking the things that the members of my family accumulate, through whatever means. I’m not greedy, and I don’t think I’m selfish. I’m absolutely going to take care of this family financially, even if I don’t know how to do that yet on my own, but I won’t ever take from my family, and I don’t agree with that policy.

Zhou Mi held a hand out to Mark at the rocking rowboat and gave him a genuine smile. “That’s why you’ll be a exceptional head of family, Mark. You’ll be grand.”

It was actually something Mark had been thinking about lately. Especially since he’d taken a peek at his family’s finances. Taking care of the family financially was going to be a massive undertaking. 

Mark’s legs felt like jelly as he stepped into the rowboat, but Zhou Mi’s grip on his hand was strong and secure and it didn’t feel for a second like Zhou Mi would let him fall.

They rowed silently into the center of the lake, the boat gliding along as Zhou Mi worked the paddles expertly, kicking up only the barest hint of water.

“It’s peaceful out here,” Zhou Mi commented. “beautiful and serene. Like a perfect sonnet, waiting to be written.”

Mark’s head cocked. “Sonnet? Like Shakespeare?”

“I’m very fond of poetry.”

Mark tried not to let his distaste show as he told Zhou Mi, “I think poetry is kind of boring. It’s all about flowers and love and mostly it’s confusing.”

Instead of looking offended, Zhou Mi laughed a little. “Poetry is often symbolic and steeped in metaphor. While I very much recognize that some of the best poetry is simplistic in nature, I prefer much more complex and rich stanzas. I like to think of poetry as a puzzle to solve, and the feeling of accomplishment when you decipher the message, is something incredibly rewarding.”

“I just like more straightforward things, I guess.” Mark leaned carefully against the edge of the rowboat and felt it dip precariously. 

The paddles to the rowboat stilled and Zhou Mi’s voice carried through the air, “All things will die. Clearly the blue river chimes in its flowing. Under my eye; Warmly and broadly the south winds are blowing.”

“Morbid,” Mark said.

Zhou Mi held up a finger, “Over the sky. One after another the white clouds are fleeting; Every heart this May morning in joyance is beating.”

“I think I like poems about death even less.”

“It’s not really about death,” Zhou Mi said patiently. 

Mark let his fingers skim the top of the water. The water, as expected, was cold, but also a wonderful feeling. In fact Mark was feeling more comfortable and content than he had in a while. “Then what’s it about? Because it sounds like it’s about death.”

“Somewhat,” Zhou mi conceded. “It’s Tennyson’s ‘All Things Will Die’, and while the subject matter itself is death, it’s more of a reflection on the fragility of life. And in a way, the love and beauty of life. I like to think the poem is a reminder that death comes to all eventually, but the life that precedes that, is beautiful and precious.”

Straightening up a little, Mark asked, “Is Tennyson your favorite?”

Zhou Mi leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Of the Victorian era poets, he is. But I prefer the Renaissance poets more. Especially John Donne.”

One hand still dangling in the water, Mark lifted himself fully to a seated position and leaned towards Zhou Mi’s personal space. “Why him?” Against all odds, Mark was actually curious. “I bet he writes about love a lot.”

Zhou Mi grinned. “The Renaissance poets usually did. It was a period of enlightenment, and to most men, there was nothing more enlightening than love.”

Taking a deep breath, Mark asked, “Tell me some of his poetry?”

In the distance Mark could hear the soft hoots of owls, the chirps of crickets, and the rippling of the water. And all of it was the perfect backdrop to Mark who thought Zhou Mi was looking absolutely ethereal with the moon behind him, making him look like an angel.

Zhou Mi cleared is throat and started, “Busy old fool, unruly sun. Why dost thou thus through windows, and through curtains call on us? Must to thy motions lovers’ season run? Saucy pedantic wretch, go childe. Late school boys and sour prentices. Go tell court huntsment that the king will ride. Call country ants to harvest offices. Love, all alike, no season knows nor clime. Nor hours, days, months which are the rags of time.”

Zhou Mi’s voice was the kind of steady tempo that Mark could see himself falling asleep to. It was familiar and soothing and coming from Zhou Mi, the poetry was almost hypnotic.

When Zhou Mi was finished reciting the whole of the poem, Mark stated, “You’re going to have to tell me what it’s about.”

Air caught in Mark’s chest as Zhou Mi’s hand came up to frame his jaw gently. “It’s a poem about a man who loves a woman very much. He’s spent the night with her, most likely made love to her, and is now cursing the day for coming. It’s heartbreaking to him, because he knows they’ll have to be parted, and she is the love of his life--nothing else compares.”

“Sounds sad,” Mark struggled to get out. But the pads of Zhou Mi’s fingers were so warm against his skin. So intimate.

“It is,” Zhou Mi agreed, his thump stoking ever so slightly at the skin of Mark’s chin. “But also not so much. After all, by his cursing the coming of the sun, and forsaking the call of king and country, he’s stating that the woman he loves is worth more to him than anything else. He’s saying exactly how much he loves her by disregarding everything else. That kind of love isn’t as common as one might hope, but it does occur, and it’s worth cherishing above all other things.”

Zhou Mi’s eyes were like furnaces piercing deeply into Mark’s own, and it wasn’t only the poetry that Mark though was a puzzle of words.

“Don’t you think that kind of devotion and love is beautiful?”

Mark nodded awkwardly, not sure all of the sudden why he was desperate not to dislodge Zhou Mi’s hand. 

“Zhou Mi,” Mark said at a whisper. “I don’t …”

“That,” Zhou Mi cut in just as quietly, “is the kind of love and devotion I feel towards you.”

Suddenly Zhou Mi’s other hand was there, and Mark’s face was being bracketed by hands that were capable of such strength and violence, but Mark knew would never hurt him.

“I can’t … you shouldn’t …”

Zhou Mi leaned closer. “I’ve spoken to you at length about how I will stand with you, support you, and never betray you. But now is the moment for me to tell you that I hold more than simple affection for you. I have very much fallen in love with you--my heart and soul have become fully yours.”

The world was narrowing around Mark and he felt light headed.

Zhou Mi was close enough that Mark could smell his cologne when he said, “If ever two were one, then sure we.”

“Is that more poetry?” Mark asked, and he wasn’t sure what he was feeling, but it was overwhelming and it was … undeniable.

Zhou Mi nodded. “My love is such that rivers cannot quench. Nor ought but love from three give recompense. Thy love is such I can no way repay; The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray. Then while we live, in love let’s so persever, that when we live no more, we may live ever.”

There was such a burst of joy and want from Mark’s heart that it caught him completely off guard. He hadn’t even known he was capable of feeling so much until suddenly he was. And even more astounding, it was Zhou Mi who was making him feel that way. Zhou Mi and not Jackson.

Jackson.

The guilt was there immediately.

But before Mark could voice it, or ask Zhou Mi to give him space, Zhou Mi’s big hands were cradling his head up. And just as quickly they were kissing.

It was a kiss that Mark felt deep in him right away, sweet and sensual and filled with so much care. The kiss made Mark clutch at the side of the rowboat desperately as his mind went blank, and against anything that would have been better judgment, he kissed back.

Zhou Mi groaned happy against him and Mark raised one hand from the security of the boat to grab hold of the shirt Zhou Mi wore.

The kiss was good. It was better than good. And as it deepened, Mark didn’t want it to end. It was the kind of kiss that made nothing else in the world matter.

At least until his other hand uncurled from the other side of the rowboat, coinciding perfectly with the first slip of tongue from Zhou Mi. It started Mark, he lost his center of balance at once, and then he only knew the cold splash of water.

It took him a second to realize what had happened. And a second more to realize he couldn’t breathe. He tried to choke in air but only ended up with a mouth and nose full of water.

Then he was being jerked up suddenly, and he broke the surface of the water sputtering like a near drowned cat. His lifejacket kept him afloat and he clung of the front of it, buoyant and never so thankful for the safety device. Mark could swim. He could swim well, too. But he realized now that he’d tipped the rowboat on accident, and when he’d gone under the water, he’d been disoriented. He hadn’t known which way was up. He could have drowned.

“Are you okay?” Zhou Mi’s voice demanded roughly, as if he’d taken in some water too. 

And when Zhou Mi was coughing a second later, Mark was the one asking, “Are you?”

Zhou Mi drew him close as they floated in the water, kept that way by the life jackets. His warm arms encircled Mark and helped fight the chill of the water. “If you didn’t want me to kiss you, you could have only said so. You didn’t need to flip the boat.”

There was an ease to his words, as if the kiss had meant nothing, but Mark knew better. And he knew the look on Zhou Mi’s face, too.

“Come on,” Zhou Mi said, helping kick the both of them over to boat. He got it righted on his own, Mark still clinging to him like a child, and then Zhou Mi helped lift Mark into it. It almost went over a second time as Mark flipped into it, but eventually Zhou Mi was pulling himself up along side Mark and they were both fully out of the water.

“You shouldn’t have said those things to me or kissed me,” Mark said, wiping water from his bangs and forehead. “Zhou Mi. I have a boyfriend. I have …”

“You have at least some feelings for me. You feel something, even if you haven’t admitted the extent of it yet.”

Still breathing more heavily than usual, Mark stared at him.

Did he care that much? Was what he felt more than simple affection?

He had kissed Zhou Mi back, hadn’t he?

“It’s not love what you feel for me,” Zhou Mi said, calming his own breathing. “But you don’t love your boyfriend, either.”

“I’m not even sixteen yet,” Mark said back almost angrily. “I barely know how to love myself right now.”

Shoulders slumping, Zhou Mi nodded. “Fair enough. But you feel something. For me. I could tell in the way you kissed me. I could tell, Mark.”

There was such desperation in Zhou Mi that Mark was caught completely off guard. Why was it so important to Zhou Mi? Was it simply one person desiring another to return feelings? Why did it feel like something more?

“Please,” Mark said, steadying himself. “I don’t know what I feel for you. Is that what you want me to say? There … maybe there’s something there--something that wasn’t there before--but it doesn’t matter. I have a boyfriend and that kiss was wrong. That kiss should never have happened, and I won’t be that kind of boyfriend to Jackson. You have to promise not to do it again.”

“That’s like asking the sun not to set at the end of a day.”

Mark reached over to put a hand to Zhou Mi’s chest. “I mean it. You kissed me once before and it was wrong then. But it let it go, because we’re so twisted up together it’s hard to see sometimes. But this second time? It has to be the last. So please, respect my wishes and be aware of what they are. I only want to kiss my boyfriend, and he is not you.”

The most worrying part was that when Zhou Mi had kissed him the first time, Mark hadn’t been able to identify much romantic about it. At least not on his end. But this time? This time it was different.

And Mark didn’t know where the feelings had come from, nor their intensity.

They made him feel wretched, but mostly because he’d sworn that he’d never feel them. He’d given his attention and his affection to Jackson, and what he felt for Zhou Mi had snuck up on him and made Mark feel like a hypocrite. A traitor. A betrayer.

Zhou Mi looked up at the moon and sighed. “It’s getting late. I should get us back to the house, if only to change.” 

It wasn’t lost on Mark that Zhou Mi hadn’t made a promise of any kind to keep his hands and mouth to himself.

“How are we going to get back?” Mark asked. He pointed to the oars which had been lost when the rowboat had flipped.

“Improvisation,” Zhou Mi said with a wink, then he leaned over and began slowly paddling them back to shore with his arms. Mark tried not to notice the way Zhou Mi’s clothing clung to his very well defined body.

“I should go sneak back in and change,” Mark said when his feet were firmly on the dock. He tried to unbuckled his life jacket with shaking hands, finding his fingers frozen to the point that it was difficult to get the clasps to cooperate.

“Here,” Zhou Mi said, stepping away from the boat he’d tied up in the boat house. His own hands replaced Mark’s on the front of the vest. “You should go get a warm bath. If you need your iron tablet, I’ll bring it up to you. Maybe with some hot tea?”

Mark’s hands caught Zhou Mi’s and he realized they were just as cold. “I need to know that you understand what I said to you.”

Zhou Mi stared at him for a while, quiet and still. Then he asked, “Have I crossed a line with us? Have I broken what we have?”

Mark shrugged honestly.

“I’ve tried to be patient,” Zhou Mi said with an exhale. “I tried to let you figure things out at your own speed. And for the longest time, I thought that there would be nothing between us. I believed you when you said that you felt nothing for me. I accepted that.”

“That kiss didn’t seem like it.”

Slowly Mark released Zhou Mi’s fingers and allowed him to pry the lifejacket off. “That was before I saw it.”

“Saw what?” Mark asked hesitantly. 

“I saw you look at me,” Zhou Mi said simply. “I saw the way you looked at me--the conflict on your face. And I knew in that second, I absolutely knew, I still had a chance.”

“Zhou Mi.”

“A slim one,” Zhou mi added, hanging up their life jackets. “But still one.”

Mark opened his mouth to reply, only to realize he didn’t know what he could possibly say to those words.

So they walked back to the house in silence.

Mark had the bath, like Zhou Mi had suggested, and then there was tea and finally exhaustion. Mark changed into his pajamas, climbed in bed, and even though it was at least an hour before the sun came up, settled down for the night.

Encompassed by the heavy blankets and cocoon of warmth, Mark closed his eyes and willed himself to go to sleep. At least if he was asleep he wouldn’t have to think about what had happened and the new, conflicting feelings that were overtaking his senses.

“You are an idiot, Mark,” he told himself in the pitch blackness of the room. 

How could he even be considering Zhou Mi when he had someone as wonderful and Jackson?

There was no comparison, he told himself. Jackson was amazing and perfect for Mark, and he made Mark feel all the things he’d never dared to think he could on his own. Jackson was the one for him, and there was no denying or confusing the very real emotions Mark felt for him. Zhou Mi had been right when he’d claimed Mark didn’t love Jackson, but he was very close to it. Almost too close.

There was no comparison. There couldn’t be.


	16. Sixteen

When Mark woke, he felt horrible. He wasn’t sure if he’d just slept poorly, or if it had something to do with the kiss he’d shared with Zhou Mi.

“You look horrible,” Jackson said when Mark sat down in front of his laptop to talk to him through skype. “Is everything okay over there?”

Mark tried to force a smile, but he knew it felt short. “Things are … it’s okay.”

Jackson, who was lounging on his bed with his own laptop in front of him, rolled to his back and heaved a deep sigh. “I hate it when you say you’re okay. You’re never okay when you say you’re okay.” Jackson rolled back to make eye contact. “I worry about you, and I don’t like what I’m seeing.”

“I guess some things happened that I wasn’t prepared for. Some things that … I never thought could happen, or at least not the way they did.” Things were changing. Things were getting more muddled, less clear, and it was all the fuel Mark’s anxiety needed. And it wasn’t just the stuff with Zhou Mi, either.

“Well, I’m not there to nag you,” Jackson said. “So nag yourself? Take care of yourself. You only have to deal with this for a couple more days, right?”

Mark gave him a strong nod, anxious to get back to Hawthorne. “My introduction is nothing. That’s an all night thing. And then I’ll spend tomorrow with my uncle, going over some important, legal things, but I’ll be back at Hawthorne just after that. Want to go on a date when I do?”

The more Mark thought about his situation with Zhou Mi, the more he was certain what he needed was space from the man. People developed feelings for each other all the time, and usually when they were thrown together into severe or special circumstances. Mark had been forced to lean on Zhou Mi, use him for stability, and trust him. It was maybe only natural his affection for the man would turn into something more out of necessity. But he wasn’t looking for a clichéd love triangle of any sorts, and he was genuinely, truly, happy with Jackson. So in order to bypass his feelings for Zhou Mi developing any further, he planned to put distance between them.

Mark wasn’t even sure how often he’d seen Zhou Mi after his introduction. All hints and evidence pointed to Zhou Mi having to return to his family after his match with Mark ended. Maybe he’d still attend Hawthorne, but even that wasn’t certain. 

All Mark had to do was push Zhou Mi to keep his lips to himself, and put some real distance between them. It hurt to sacrifice a friendship that Mark had put so much into, and valued so much, but the alternative was sacrificing his relationship with Jackson. And that wasn’t going to happen.

Jackson gave him a cheeky smile. “You asking me out on a date?”

“Well,” Mark drawled out, feeling a little better, “technically we are dating already. But I just realized that every time we go out and do anything, you’re the one who suggests it. You pay for everything, too. So I want to take you out. I want to plan it. You game for that?”

Jackson made a fluttering motion with his hand, fanning himself. “Is this what it feels like when I make you swoon?”

“You dork.” Finally Mark’s grin felt real. “Don’t you have to get to class soon?”

Jackson’s eyes flickered away from the computer for a second and he admitted, “You’re forgetting the time difference. You’re way ahead of me. But I’m supposed to meet Yugyeom and the others for breakfast, later. And I should probably finish the last of my homework due to day … and there’s that geometry test in about five hours I was thinking about studying for.”

“Then go,” Mark urged, getting to his feet. “I’ll skype you again before I’m set to head home.”

“I miss you,” Jackson called. “And don’t forget to kick ass tonight!.”

With the short but enjoyable call over, Mark headed directly to his window and hit the button on the side to raise the slats that protected the room from the light of the sun. When the slates were fully open he could see outside that the driveway was blissfully free of all of the catering trucks and delivery companies that had flooded the house a night before. It gave Mark enough courage to venture out of his room from an iron tablet and a glass of water.

For the most part he was hoping to avoid Zhou Mi until later that night. And it probably wouldn’t be that hard. Mark had seen his uncle’s itinerary, and it clearly stated that guests were scheduled to start arriving with an hour or two. Zhou Mi would no doubt be out to mingle with them, help them whoever he could, and to represent Mark however necessary. Zhou Mi’s usefulness and thoughtfulness was not lost on Mark, no matter how much he wanted it to be.

Kyuhyun was scheduled to be attending the introduction, and Mark hoped he could catch him before the actual event. 

He was on his way down the twisty hallways towards the kitchen to at least try and stomach something when he came across a furious voice hissing in what was barely a whisper. Mark inched himself forward carefully, being as silent as possible, and then peeked around a corner.

There was his uncle. The tall, intense man was easy to spot. But so was the form of Zhou Mi, looking the least at peace that Mark had ever seen. His body was all tense, shoulders pulling together and neck muscles straining.

He heard his uncle snap, “--get him under control. This was your one task.”

Zhou Mi was taller than Mark’s uncle and he used his height in a surprising move, crowding in to whisper back, “I am not his keeper. You’re asking me to be.”

Mark held his breath. What were they talking about? What would his uncle and Zhou Mi actually have to discuss in the first place?

He was so lost in the possibilities that he barely caught his uncle arguing back, “I’m losing control of him. He’s becoming too independent. I won’t have it.”

“He’s a man now,” Zhou Mi said coolly. “He’ll be much more in a very short while. You should start to consider that he won’t be told what to do.”

His uncle snorted. “The idea is laughable. He’s still a child. A new title won’t make him any less.”

Oh god. Were they talking about him?

Mark drew back slightly. How could he be the subject? How could his uncle be talking about him so callously? And Zhou Mi? Zhou Mi had always been his strongest advocate, next to Henry. The idea that he’d been faking it the entire time was … heartbreaking. No, Mark had to be hearing things wrong. No one was that good of an actor.

“Going off at all times,” Mark’s uncle continued, “keeping things from me. This is the kind of behavior that I won’t stand for.”

Zhou Mi shrugged. “He’s his own man now. I know it must cause you great distress to know this, but that does not negate the truth of it. I can no more control him than I can you. Not anymore.”

Mark felt like such a fool.

His uncle’s voice rose as he said, “I gave you what you wanted. I gave you the promise you wanted to hear and I made everything happen for you. I suggest you keep your end of the bargain. Without me you wouldn’t have anything. And need I remind you that you don’t get anything else until I’m satisfied?”

This couldn’t be happening.

“It’s a bargain I made out of necessity. And I didn’t do it for myself.”

“Regardless, you made it. Now get him under control or I’ll expose the truth to your prize.”

How could this be true? How could … Mark felt like hyperventilating. 

“It won’t be easy,” Zhou Mi said.

His uncle asked, “You want your money, don’t you? Then find a way.”

Everything he’d thought he’d known was a lie. People were still, after so long, lying to him. And the hurt was worse than anything he could have imagined. Maybe it just hurt the most because it came from people he cared for.

Before he could hear anything else Mark took off as fast as he’d come. He raced away, not caring a bit if his feet were heavy on the carpet or not. He descended the grand staircase two or three steps at a time and crashed through the front doors.

His feet were a blur under him as he dashed across the lawn and away from the house.

He’d never felt so betrayed. Not in a way he knew with such certainty. 

Racing down towards the lake, Mark didn’t know where he was going, or what he was going to do. He only knew he had to get away. He had to get away right then and there. 

He didn’t pick up on the presence behind him until he was to the edge of uncle’s property and the lake was in sight. Mark had only a second’s warning before he was caught around his waist, lifted off his feet and held tightly.

“Shh,” a soothing voice whispered in his ear. “Mark. Stop.”

Mark ignored the voice. He fought and kicked and struggled with every bit of strength he had.

“Mark,” Zhou Mi said, hugging him tighter than he’d ever dared before.

“Get off me!” Mark screamed, desperate to get away. “Get your traitorous hands off me you prick!” He threw a hard elbow into Zhou Mi’s face and scored the best hit of his life. Zhou Mi let him go immediately with a groan of pain.

Mark stumbled forward, barely catching himself, as he was released. Then he breathing hard, gasping for air, and everything felt too suffocating. He was drowning in emotions, and the pain was fierce and terrible. 

His strength left him all at once and he went slowly to his knees, staring up at Zhou Mi with the most poisonous glare he could muster up. It must have been something lethal because Zhou Mi gave a visible cringe. Mark noted his nose was already swelling.

“Mark,” Zhou Mi tried again.

“Don’t you even speak to me,” Mark huffed out, slowly getting his breath back. “Don’t you even fucking look at me.” He wondered if he could muster up one last bit of strength to dodge past Zhou Mi. Maybe if he could get to the lake …

“You’ve misunderstood,” Zhou Mi said calmly. “I know that you overhead the conversation between myself and your uncle, correct? You’ve misunderstood, I assure you. Let me explain to you what we were speaking about.”

“I’ve misunderstood?” Mark choked out. “You’re right. I’ve misunderstood. Because I thought you were one of the most loyal, trustworthy, respectable people I’d ever met in my life. I thought that you were someone I could put all my faith in and not have to risk anything in doing that. I didn’t think you were some asshole stringing me along for whatever deal you made--to get whatever you wanted.”

And he’d felt something for Zhou Mi. The idea made him sick now, that he’d had any sort of romantic feelings for the man in front of him.

Zhou Mi, frustrated, implored, “Let me explain--”

“Get him under control!” Mark shouted, louder than ever. “That’s what my uncle told you to do. To get me under control. And then you can have your money!”

Mark twisted his hands up into his hair. How could he have been such an idiot? How could he have not seen what was in front of him from the start? Zhou Mi had always been too perfect. He’d been the kind of person that didn’t really exist, and Mark had been so desperate to believe he was real that he’d now gone and made an absolute fool of himself.

“You were not the party in question.”

“I …” Mark jerked back. “What?”

“Henry was the topic of the conversation.”

Henry? How was that possible?

Sensing his confusion, Zhou Mi offered Mark a hand up and said, “Your uncle has nearly perfected the method he employs in keeping the people nearest him under his control. Henry is the perfect example. Henry has spent nearly his whole life doing what your uncle wants. He’s always acted and thought and lived the way your uncle expects. But lately Henry has been starting to exercise some real independence. Your uncle was asking me to get Henry under control. His control.”

Slowly Mark reached out and put his hand in Zhou Mi’s, getting to his feet. “Why would uncle be asking you to do that?”

“Because Henry listens to me,” Zhou Mi said. “He values my opinion and insight. More than that, he trusts me, and I suspect Henry no longer trusts his father.”

Mark prompted, still feeling utterly defensive, “The deal? What kind of deal did you make with him? Was it for money?”

Zhou Mi tugged Mark close, close enough that he could put both his hands on Mark’s shoulders and look down at him to say, “He asked me to follow Henry around this term. He wanted me to attempt to influence him, but more than that, he wanted me to repot back Henry’s activities and if he left campus for any reason or length of time.”

That was … more than unexpected. Mark had spent weeks now, maybe longer than, suspecting that his uncle was having him watched. But for it to be Henry under surveillance?

“Why?”

“I’m unsure,” Zhou Mi admitted. “But you should understand that I am not a liar. When I told you that my loyalty is to you, I absolutely meant it. I’ve been using this arrangement to keep an eye on the both of them, in order to better protect you. I don’t know what sort of game the two of them are playing, but in light of Lord Kyuhyun’s recent accusations …”

Mark’s eyes narrowed. “But you’re also loyal to Henry. I know you are. You’ve been covering for him, for whatever he’s been doing.”

“I have,” Zhou Mi said with a nod. “Because while I have my doubts about your uncle, I do not have them about Henry. And he gave me his sworn word to do his best to protect you if I kept his greatest secret. That secret is worth that much to him.”

Mark asked, “Is that the kind of secret that my uncle would want to know about?”

“It is a secret,” Zhou Mi said, finally releasing Mark, “that he would pay a king’s fortune to know. But it would place your cousin in great harm if he did know, and Lady Amber, as they are not yet married.”

Mark let himself drift again. What kind of secret was that? A secret effected by marriage? More importantly, why were all these people playing their games with each other when there were humans running around killing them in precise strikes?

“Mark,” Zhou Mi called, “I will always place you as my number one priority, but I care deeply for Henry. He is a great friend and I won’t let anything happen to him, either. I’m continuing the charade with you uncle out of necessity, nothing else. When you are the head of your family, it will be safer for me to expose the situation for what it is.”

Now Mark felt like a fool for a different reason.

But there was still one thing left bothering him.

“What are you supposed to be getting out of the agreement? My uncle mentioned money.”

It was always money. Everything always came down to money.

Mark hated money.

He could tell that the question had been completely unexpected and Zhou Mi had no immediate response. Then there was a flush of shame and Mark knew it was going to be something terrible.

“I,” Zhou Mi started, then stopped.

“It had to be something good, right? Your prize?”

“I am not the honorable man you think I am,” Zhou Mi said, head bowed.

“Tell me.” This, Mark suspected, would break something between the two of them.

Without pretense, Zhou Mi gestured back to the house in the distance. “This house, the sprawling estate, it’s but a taste of the wealth tied to your family, Mark. When you inherit the head of the family seat on the council, when you become an adult in vampire society, you’ll inherit that wealth as well.”

Zhou Mi had no idea, but Mark had seen the numbers. He’d seen on average what his family made in a year, and it was a staggering number. Because financial records were available to council members, Mark suspected he could look into the finances of other family families with ease. But there was also a sinking suspicion that not many of them would be anywhere near what Mark’s family was worth.

“Then my uncle’s paying you to spy on Henry?” Mark assumed.

Zhou mi said, “My family carries with it all the grace and dignity that a pureblood family is expected to have. Yet none of the wealth.”

That was right. Henry had told Mark that Zhou Mi had essentially been sold to the fourth family. The thirteenth family had gotten an insane amount of money in return, but the head of that family also had an issue with handling money properly. Henry said the hundred million dollars Mark’s family had traded for Zhou Mi, had been gone within a few years. No doubt the thirteenth family was in search of more.

Mark repeated, “You’re spying for money.” For money. Mark wanted to scoff. 

“In a way,” Zhou Mi said in an elusive way.

Mark crossed his arms and turned away in frustration.

Only a beat later Zhou Mi was saying, “In exchange for keeping an eye on Henry, and returning him to your uncle’s influence, your uncle insured to me that through whatever means necessary, you would be mine. And with our match comes an additional clause to our contract.”

Mark took a strong step backwards.

Zhou Mi continued, “Before I met you at the start of the term, before I got to know you and love you as I do, I was absolutely desperate to secure our match. Marrying you will ensure that my family is well taken care of financially, and that was all I could see at the moment. Your uncle promised me you, and that he would deal with any obstacles in our way to the alter.”

“What clause?” Mark demanded, feeling lightheaded. “What damn clause in our contract?”

Zhou Mi looked down to the ground in continued guilt, and then finally said, “My family, the thirteenth, received a substantial amount when the match was first agreed upon. By my family gets an additional sum of money when we formally fulfill the requirements of our match and exchange the bracelets that bind us together forever. It’s a sum equal to what my family was presented with when the match was first initiated.”

So essentially, if Mark understood correctly, Zhou Mi had valued their relationship at a hundred million dollars. Zhou Mi had followed him around, befriended him, put romantic pressure on him, tried to run Jackson off, and lied right to his face, so that his family could have more money.

“You,” Mark said, but didn’t know what else to say. What did one say to a person who had made such a bargain? “Wanted to play both sides then? You wanted to stay loyal to Henry and keep his secrets, but you also wanted to use my uncle to take away any choice I might have in who I marry? So you could have money.”

Flatly, Zhou Mi said, “I told you I was not the honorable man you believed me to be.”

“You know how important something like that is me! Not being used! Having people I can trust and believe in!”

“This bargain,” Zhou Mi reminded, “was made before I knew you. Before I knew your spirit. Mark, I agreed to breech your trust before I was in love with you.”

“Don’t you dare say that to me,” Mark said, voice trembling. “Don’t you fucking dare.”

“Mark.” Zhou Mi reached for him and Mark jerked away violently. 

“Don’t you ever, and I mean even, say that to me again.”

Bluntly, Zhou Mi replied, “It’s the truth. I liked you very much when I met you, and before that as well, however I placed my family before you out of necessity. But things are far different now than I ever imagined them to be. You don’t want me to say it because I know you feel something in return and you are hurting due to my actions, but the truth remains. I am in love with you. I’m in love with you and I would still want to marry you even if there wasn’t a single penny you had to give.”

“You are a liar and a fraud,” Mark threw out at him harshly.

Zhou Mi shook his head. “Nothing I ever said to you was untrue. I have never, very deliberately, ever lied to you. And my feels for you are absolute and true.”

“I can’t …” Mark put a hand to his stomach, feeling sick. “I can’t believe I thought for one second, just one, that I might feel something for you that wasn’t brotherly or friendly. I feel like an idiot. I am an idiot.”

Zhou Mi winced.

“You used me,” Mark ground out. “You used me for money. You let my uncle use you for money.” Zhou Mi had made him feel dirty, Mark realized. Absolutely filthy.

“It was not my intention--”

“Stop!” Mark snapped. “Just stop. I can’t even look at you anymore. You make me feel sick. Your face actually makes me feel sick. So don’t talk to me. Don’t be near me. And I need to get away from you before I do actually get sick.”

“Please,” Zhou Mi called after him.

Mark took another step, then restructured his path and edged around Zhou Mi so he was moving steadily towards the house. “You don’t even think about following me.”

Zhou Mi moved after him anyway. “I would never hold you to my foolish bargain now, Mark. The money means nothing to me. I won’t attempt to manipulate you into fulfilling the match.”

“But you would have!”

That was the only part that Mark cared about. If Zhou Mi had had his way, he’d have tricked or coerced Mark into eventually marrying him, all in the name of money.

At least he’d been right in determining Zhou Mi to not be as perfect as he’d originally thought. It was a bittersweet kind of victory.

“I won’t let anyone hurt you,” Zhou Mi tried again, “not even myself. You will dissolve the match, Mark, if it’s what you ultimately desire. And I won’t let your uncle stop you. Then I’ll win your heart fairly.”

“No,” Mark vowed, head shaking, “you’ll never win my heart. Never. Because I could never love someone who could do something like this. Never!” He turned and sprinted back to the house. 

He would never love Zhou Mi. He’d never give his heart to someone so deceptive. All of the things he’d been starting to feel for Zhou Mi were gone in an instance, and everything felt like dust blowing away in a harsh wind.

Never, Mark swore. Never. 

He didn’t realize that there were tears in his eyes until he was back at the house and striding down the hallway to his room. Mark pushed furiously at the wetness on his cheeks and only wanted one thing in the universe. He wanted to be back at school with Jackson who joked around and messed with everyone, but was always honest and open and never a liar. 

He wanted Jackson to make him smile just once more, maybe even laugh.

In his rush to get back to his room, and back to his cell phone where he could shoot Jackson a text and hope to hear from him soon, he miscounted the doors. There were three doors attached to the hallway, all on the left hand side. He recalled there was his room, Henry’s room, and a guest room not being used, and honestly Mark hadn’t paid too much attention to the order they went in, other than the fact that his was in the middle. 

But now, blinking through unwanted tears, all worked up and stressed out, he missed passing the first door, miscounted his, and mistook Henry’s for his own.

He threw open the door casually, expecting to meet with an empty room, and instead came up short, his eyes quickly adjusting to the brightness of the occupied room.

And then he saw them, Henry and Amber, his two favorite people in the room, in the most unlikely and compromising situation.

“Mark,” Henry said quickly, deathly pale. 

“Shit, Mark,” Amber added.

Mark’s eyes traced Amber’s form, standing at her full height, looking completely normal, aside from her shirt which was pulled up quite far, exposing her stomach which had a notable curve that Mark couldn’t believe had gone unnoticed before.

“Mark,” Henry said again, frozen on the ground in front of Amber, his hands slowly falling from her curved stomach. 

“Oh, god,” Mark breathed out. “Amber? Are you pregnant?”


	17. Seventeen

“Deep breaths, Mark, deep breaths,” his uncle cautioned, one hand pressed along the small of Mark’s back. The touch was one that made Mark feel instantly uncomfortable, and it was an automatic kind of recoiling in him that Mark could only guess stemmed from how his uncle and Zhou Mi had been working to manipulate Mark over his match.

Of course contrary to what Kyuhyun thought, that didn’t make Mark’s uncle a traitor. It didn’t make him evil. It just made him less good in Mark’s eyes, and less like the adoring, selfless uncle Mark had built him up to be over the years.

Still, there was no getting away from the thoughts that were creeping up on Mark at every possible second. He still didn’t believe Kyuhyun’s theories, but if his uncle was capable of this, what else was he capable of?

Mark kept his eyes straight ahead, on the double doors that would open in seconds and reveal to him the little over two hundred and fifty guests who were there to witness his transition into adult vampire society.

“You were born for this moment,” his uncle added. “Relish in it.”

Relish. Ha. Mark wanted to crawl in a hole and not come out for a hundred years. He didn’t want to face Zhou Mi who was a liar, his uncle who was possibly a murderer according to Kyuhyun, or any of the fake faces that were poised to grin at him and pretend as if they truly cared. They were the same people who were going to talk behind his back at the first chance, and judge him harshly over anything and everything. 

Upon a second consideration, he knew there would be at least a couple of friendly, genuine faces, too. At least a few of his parent’s long time friends would be in the room, along with Henry and Amber and others who Mark felt comfortable around. He’d just focus on them, he decided, and nothing else.

“I’m ready,” Mark said, barely able to turn his head from the heavy starch of the high collar he wore. He hadn’t gotten to pick his own clothes for the event, and instead he’d ended up in the rare ceremonial clothes that were specifically representative of his family. Mark had worn the uniform only once before, and didn’t remember the high collar, tight jacket and itchy sash, being so uncomfortable. “I’m ready, Uncle Marcus.” More like he was ready to not be alone with the man in the small antechamber. 

An attendant signaled to Mark’s uncle and the man put even more pressure on Mark’s back, stating, “Here we go. Chin high, Mark. This is your moment to shine. You are far superior to these people, let them know that you are aware of that.”

God, how Mark couldn’t wait to get away from his uncle’s rhetoric. It had always been a little worrying before, and disagreeable. Now he and his views were something completely different.

The doors opened and for a half second Mark was blinded by the lights and the glitz. He got his bearing shortly after that, but even if he hadn’t, there was no time to stop. His uncle was pushing him along into a huge crowd of people who were dressed like something out of a Victorian era movie. Mark had been to plenty of vampire parties, even formal ones, but never one that looked as if time travel had been involved.

They all looked ridiculous, even if they were beautiful, too.

It was the first time Mark was actually seeing the huge room decorated for his introduction, at least from the inside. He’d lurked around hours earlier, but hadn’t been courageous enough to peek in. But now that he was seeing it, even he had to admit it was absolutely gorgeous. The ceiling sparkled like magic, the hardwood floor shined with polish, and the decorations were tasteful without being tacky or overwhelming.

“Up here,” his uncle guided, pulling him through a group of people who were all calling to him how wonderful he looked, how pleased they were to be invited, how much he looked like this father, how they couldn’t wait to see him ascend to the head of his family, and other things that Mark blocked out. 

On the plane Zhou Mi had said that a majority of the council was expected to be present, as his introduction signaled him stepping up to sit the head of the fourth family, but he hadn’t expected almost all of them to be before him. But he could spot them easily, heads and heirs dressed in their own family’s dress uniforms. Mark made a quick count of nine other heads of family, including Siwon and Kyuhyun. It was truly reflective as to how big of a deal this event was to the council.

Mark gave each of them, with the bravest face he could manage, a polite word or two, and lingered on Kyuhyun to murmur at him, “I need to talk to you,” before being pulled again by his uncle. 

Kyuhyun arched an eyebrow, but also nodded his head.

“Ladies and gentleman!” Mark heard his uncle call out as he concentrated on not tripping his way up the small platform at the head of the room. “Your attention please!”

Mark looked out into the crowd. He didn’t recognize anyone, save for a few faces he’d seen once or twice in his life. His parent’s friends, no doubt. Otherwise he was taking in faces that meant nothing to him.

He felt his uncle clasp both his hands from the side and hold him out to the group, then he said, “The fourth family has been marked with much tragedy as of late. My sister and nieces and nephew are irreplaceable, and my heart is burdened by their passing.”

And his father. Mark wanted to shout himself blue that his father had also been a victim. His father, who had probably fought to the end to protect Mark’s mother and Grace, deserved to be recognized too. Because no matter the animosity or downright hatred between Mark’s father and uncle, his father had been a remarkable, inspirational, wonderful person. He’d been doting and loving and kind. He’d been an outstanding husband, too. And he deserved recognition.

It was petty of his uncle not to mention his father, and it made the bad taste in Mark’s mouth concerning the vampire, all that much more stronger.

“But!” his uncle thundered, “despite this loss, there is still one thing left to celebrate.”

A cheer went up and Mark spotted Zhou Mi in the crowd. He looked absolutely dashing in his suit, dressed in his family’s colors of dark green and black. And regardless of how upset and angry the man made Mark right now, he couldn’t dispute that he was heaven to look at. Or rather the more apt description was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Zhou Mi was a liar and a cheat, and Mark wanted nothing to do with him. He was counting the minutes until he could dissolve their match.

And he was feeling particularly petty enough to do it publicly, as well.

It would be an extra burn, if not total humiliation, to do it publicly. Especially when Mark knew he was expected to announce his full commitment to the match, and nothing else.

A second later, with the cheers not dying down, but with Mark straightening up for the moment, his uncle said boisterously “I present to you my nephew, for his introduction, my namesake, heir to the fourth family, descendant from the first vampire, lord and prince, Mark Tuan.”

It was somewhat like a bomb exploding. Mark fought to keep his ground as polite clapping turned to frantic cheering, and it seemed like everyone was trying to get his attention. Everyone wanted to make an impression with him, and try to curry his favor.

“Smile,” his uncle said roughly in his ear, shaking him just slightly. “Smile for them.”

Mark did, forcing the expression onto his face, too terrified of the grip his uncle had on him to do otherwise. Because the way his uncle was holding him hurt. For the first time ever, his uncle was physically hurting him.

His eyes found Zhou Mi’s in the crowd and he hated that he did it so instinctually, as if he hadn’t been hurt and betrayed by the man.

It only felt worse when Mark spotted Lu Han, no doubt present to record the even for the council. The short vampire wound easily through the crowd to reach Zhou Mi’s side. He whispered something, though not very much, at Zhou Mi, and then turned away from him. Zhou Mi’s face fell, along with his gaze to the floor, and Mark felt a sudden spike of anxiety and anger.

It was the same way he’d felt when he and Jackson had been attacked.

Mark nearly swayed. He couldn’t hadn’t losing control again. He couldn’t risk the beast getting out and doing damage especially at an event of this importance. But there was something very important about how it reacted to seeing Lu Han say something hurtful to Zhou Mi. 

He wondered if it meant his instincts, his pure vampire urges, were geared towards Zhou Mi on a level he couldn’t understand. And if so, how did Mark do away with it? How did he even begin to handle it? 

After a proper length of time, things progressed along so that Mark stood at the center of the room’s attention, carefully receiving a tall flute of champagne from a cousin of his that he hadn’t seen in a long time. She was his second or third, he wasn’t sure, and they hadn’t been together in well over a year. But she was a sweet kid, almost a teen, and when she gave him a supportive wink, he grinned widely at her. 

He held up the glass to the crowd and cleared his throat, his eyes drifting until they caught Kyuhyun to the side. He tried to take strength from the way Kyuhyun gave him a firm nod. Mark told himself he’d completely memorized the small speech he was supposed to give. He had it down. He could recite it in his sleep. 

“I would like to thank all of my guests for giving me the pleasure of their company,” Mark started, actually a bit proud that he’d managed to write the speech all by himself. He’d had input from several people, and had run it by his uncle for his approval, but these were his words, and all of them were something he meant. “I am fully aware that it’s often difficult, or dangerous, for so many of us to gather in one place. Therefore I give my most humble appreciation. The fourth family is honored.”

From the side of the room Henry and Amber gave him dual thumbs up.

Mark pressed on, “This is a great and monumental time in my life, and sharing it with the most influential and respected purebloods is all I could have asked for.”

Flattery, Mark recalled. He had to flatter them. Make them feel special. He had to pull for their favor just as they were trying for his. It was all a balancing act, or a game of chess.

“As I enter adulthood,” Mark continued, “I vow to uphold vampire tradition, respect its laws, further this race, and protect our secrets. This is my pledge to all of you, and to all vampires in existence.”

Perfect.

Mark couldn’t help a huge sigh of relief as the clapping kicked up again. He’d remembered the words perfectly and delivered them strongly. He barely believed he’d pulled it off.

Mark took a long drink from his glass, then handed it off and called for everyone to enjoy the party.

There was mingling to be had for the next few hours. Mark had to work the crowd, moving from group to group, shaking hands and kissing cheeks. It was boring and dull at best, but Mark kept a smile plastered to his face the entire time, unwilling to lose face after putting in some much work.

Eventually, the most dreaded part of the night was upon Mark.

The dancing.

Zhou Mi parted the crowd effortlessly, hand held out for Mark.

Mark had been playing keep away from him rather successfully, but Mark knew he had to dance with him now. He had to hold his hand and pretend as if everything were okay. At least for the moment.

The music kicked up, the twelve piece orchestra in the corner of the room playing a gentle waltz, and Mark could feel every pair of eyes in the room on him. It was the last obligation for the night. Afterwards he could disappear into the crowd and no one would notice.

“You look very handsome,” Zhou Mi complimented in a hushed voice, pulling them further to the center of the room. His hand curled securely around Mark’s waist and there was no fighting the feeling to security the motion brought. “I remember seeing Grace in her ceremonial clothing. Her dress was quite different from the suit you have on now. But no less magnificent.”

“You’re lucky I’m letting you touch me,” Mark returned, his fingers twisting up in Zhou Mi’s. He tried to squeeze the digits painfully, if only to be a brat. But Zhou Mi’s face didn’t register the attempt in the least bit.

“You’re still upset.”

“Of course I’m still upset!” Mark’s words were barely hidden by the music. He concentrated for a moment on getting his feet properly under him, then added, “Who wouldn’t be? I thought you were this standup guy. I thought you were kind and patient and caring, and come to find out, you were planning on having me no matter what. And you made me feel dirty the second I knew money was involved. So yes, be very thankful I care more about not embarrassing my family at the moment, than anything else. Because you make my skin crawl.”

Zhou Mi’s head ducked a little, and with absolute sincerity, he asked, “May I tell you something?“

Mark supposed there were two choices. Either he could let Zhou Mi try to spin an apology on him, or Mark could shut him down and endure the next seven to eight minutes in awkward, agonizing silence. Mark preferred the silence, of course, but there were too many people watching now, and he couldn’t look cold or upset with Zhou Mi. So he was forced to say, “I probably won’t care what you say. And I certainly won’t trust anything you tell me.”

Zhou Mi brushed his cheek against Mark’s, turned them gracefully, and then said, “I am nowhere near the line of succession for my family, Mark. My eldest cousin, elder by an impressive two hundred years and several generations, is the head of my family. His heir, my second cousin, is just as distant. In fact, I calculate that seventy or so family members would need to perish before I would be considered for either position. My family is quite expansive. But that has never bothered me, not once. I’ve no desire for power. However, because the head of the family has the utmost control, this is how I found myself in such a position to be matched to you--arranged to be matched to you.”

“You are seriously not trying to play the sympathy card on me, are you? Because I’m angry at you, hurt and pissed off, so that isn’t really the card to try and play.”

Zhou Mi shook his head. “What I meant to say is, my cousin is foolish in his finances, and he’s run our family into the ground. What good is a pureblood family, to most of the people in this room, if it’s unsustainable? I grew up feeling this pressure, constantly hearing from my parents that I would be matched to whomever could provide the biggest incentive. I say this to you Mark, so you understand, that I had no freedom to choose, much like you believe I’ve stolen from you. I’m ashamed to admit this to you, and I’m not seeking sympathy, but I want you to have a full understanding of the situation and how pathetic is has made me feel.”

Even Mark had to admit, “That sucks.”

“It does,” Zhou Mi agreed, “to be constantly reminded that you are only as worthwhile as the money your match can bring--all the while knowing that your family is in dire straights because your head of family, who is supposed to protect his family’s members, cannot help himself from gambling every penny away.”

Mark winced a little and said, “Don’t be mad at Henry. I made him tell me about the arrangement between our families for our match. I saw how much my parents gave to your family for you to be matched to me. I know that to your family, you were just a way to get a huge paycheck.”

Zhou Mi’s grip on Mark tightened, and Mark didn’t think he was wrong in seeing the wetness to Zhou Mi’s eyes as the taller vampire said, “Therefore, in light of the head of my family selling his younger members to feed his gambling issue, being matched to you, with your expansive fortune, was something my family leapt at the chance for. They asked for as much as they dared, more than they deserved, and they did it knowing full well that your parents would pay to see their son matched with the person they found most appropriate. I’m once more shamed, Mark, to know that my family attempted to take advantage of yours in that way.”

As the music continued on, Mark was thankful to notice other couples slowly beginning to filter onto the dance floor. They took some of the pressure of Mark. And he liked that he got to see Henry twirl Amber across the hardwood floors.

“It’s not like my parents didn’t get something out of it,” Mark pointed out. “I don’t know what it was, I know it wasn’t money, but they did get something worth all that.”

Zhou Mi replied easily, “Your parents were interested in power. I don’t mean this as a slight in any way. They understood that the best way to protect their family, was to have an edge or advantage within council proceedings. So, to the best of my knowledge, if your parents agreed to give a large sum of money at the initial agreement, and a sum nearly equal that when the match was formally announced and finalized, my family agreed to pledge their unwavering support for one hundred years.”

Mark’s eyes widened. “What does that mean?”

“It means, simply, my family would agree to support any official stances your family took, vote however your family voted, and not oppose the fourth family publicly or otherwise, for one hundred years.”

“That can’t be something the council would agree to,” Mark exhaled. The council members and family representatives weren’t supposed to create power vacuums of any kind. There were to be no such power alliances.

Zhou Mi laughed, “This certainly isn’t something that many people know about. There would be punishment dolled out if it was common knowledge.”

But it sort of made sense. Because Mark knew that Kyuhyun loved Grace almost desperately, and she probably would have been able to exercise some kind of control over the sixth family. If Zhou Mi and the thirteenth family were included, that meant at least three prominent families would have made an unofficial alliance of sorts. And those were the only ones Mark knew about. Tammy had been matched into the second family, so that was something as well.

He’d known his parents were clever, but this was brilliant.

Softly, Zhou Mi continued, “After your family passed away, I was contacted by my mother immediately, who passed along a message from the head of the family. She assured me that my cousin and your uncle, who was just recovering at that time, still stood together on the terms of our match. The fourth family would uphold the second transfer of funds, if I managed to win you over and convince you to keep our match. She urged me to push you, if only for the sake of our family’s finances.”

“Push me?”

God, Zhou Mi was so damn good at the sympathy thing.

“Push you,” Zhou Mi agreed. “Towards marriage as quickly as possible, to secure your money for our family. She brokered the deal between your uncle and I to add weight to my attempts. And feeling the pressure, I took it. In many ways I hate my family for what they’ve made me, chattel for lack of a better word, but I’d be amiss to not mention I do still love them. Part of me does. I want them to be well and happy, and money will do that. At least for a time being. Fault me for my actions if you must, Mark. I accept that. But not for the intent behind them.”

Mark took a deep breath. “I’m still mad at you. Don’t think your sob story is changing that.”

“I’m not attempting to change that. You have a right to be angry. I respect and accept that. But allow me to direct you towards the center of my intent.”

Zhou Mi, with his powerful legs and protective grasp, spun them easily around the dance floor. Mark and Henry had taken lessons when they were much younger, a requirement of most purebloods, but Mark had never been a strong dancer. Zhou Mi made Mark feel strong. He made him feel like he barely had to do any of the work, as if he were just gliding across the floor effortlessly.

“Mark? Do you see the young girl in the green dress?”

At Zhou Mi’s words, Mark looked for her. And he found her fairly easily, being that she was one of the few children in the room. She didn’t look to be more than twelve or thirteen, but she was exquisitely beautiful. “I see her.” She shared a good deal of facial features with Zhou Mi, and was almost exotic in her beauty. When she grew up a bit more, she was going to be exceptionally gorgeous, probably in only a few short years.

Zhou Mi said, “That is my sister, Liling. Regardless of what I feel for my parents, likely resentment, she is my world. I love her more than the moon itself. I made the deal with your uncle knowing full well that if I didn’t marry you, if I didn’t produce the money for my family, she would end up being the victim. She’ll be eligible for an introduction in a few years, and I abhor the match that my family will arrange for her based on money. They’ll care nothing of her feelings, as they cared nothing of mine. And I can’t see her hurt like I’ve been. I can’t see her forced into a terrible marriage for money. So instead I shoulder the burden to take the weight off hers.”

For the first time Mark looked up at him, catching his gaze, seeing the pain in his eyes. “Money will protect her?”

“Marrying you would have,” Zhou Mi corrected. “Because you are the head of your family now, which means absolute authority within your family, and an impressive amount outside. If we were matched, then married, you’d have sway over who she ended up matched to, as per the agreement between our families. You could protect her and make sure she wasn’t hurt or mistreated in any way, and that is why I attempted to coerce you into caring for me. I did it for her. Everything was for her.”

Mark looked for her again, so pretty in he green dress, black curls falling down along her face. A second later she saw him and her face lit up. Mark thought for a second she was reacting to Zhou Mi, but her eyes were completely on him. She was smiling at him.

“She likes you a lot,” Zhou Mi told him.

“Me?” Mark asked, jerking a bit. “How …”

“I see her as often as I can,” Zhou Mi said. “She always wants to hear stories about the heroic head of the fourth family.”

“Heroic?” Mark asked in confusion. “Have you been making up stories>”

Zhou Mi’s sister, Liling, who was dancing with a much older female vampire, pulled her hand free of the proper dancing stance to wave at him before their trajectories took them too far apart.

“I told her the truth, Mark.” Zhou Mi leaned closer. “I told her about a vampire who suffered a horrible, devastating lost, and who nearly felt apart from the pain of it. But that same vampire chose to rise up and become a man, taking on endless responsibilities, and doing so with dignity and courage and most importantly, kindness. That’s what I told her, and I admit, my sister has a perchance for stories about heroes in the face of adversity, but I promise, there was no embellishing of my stories. She’ll want a dance later tonight. Please grant her one.” 

“I’m sorry about your situation,” Mark offered, really feeling it. Anger and sympathy were rising, whether he wanted the emotions to or not, because he couldn’t blame Zhou Mi anymore. What if Mark had been in the same position? What if he’d been trying to protect Joey from a terrible forced marriage? “I’ll give her a dance, don’t worry. But what … um …about your options …”

“I’ll discern the answer to my problems on my own,” Zhou Mi said confidently, though he didn’t look it. “As I told you before, I made this deal with your uncle long before I knew your heart and soul. I could no more hurt you than I could hurt my sister. I won’t fight being released from our match. I will not hurt you by taking your freedom from you.”

After another turn Mark saw a flash of Henry still dancing with Amber. She wore a loose but pretty dress. Most importantly, it hid her growing stomach.

“Zhou Mi,” Mark said, holding tighter to the older man. “I know the secret you’ve been keeping for Henry. Or rather, I know the secret you’ve been keeping for Amber.”

Zhou Mi gave him a surprised look, one that had a hint of being impressed. “How did you come to such a conclusion?”

“I didn’t exactly work it out on my own, I should admit.” A grin broke on Mark’s face. “I stupidly walked into the wrong room at the right time.” Mark leaned even closer and whispered, “Amber’s pregnant.”

Zhou Mi gave no sign of recognition for what felt like the longest amount of time, then asked, “Do you realize why they’ve been fiercely guarding this secret?”

“Because they’re not getting married until next spring?” That had to be it. Getting pregnant before marriage, as long as it did happen before the baby was born, wasn’t considered anything out of the ordinary. But there was no way they were getting married before the baby came if they kept their current date, and it was sure to be a scandal. Not to mention they’d already had the wedding date moved up twice. Most vampires didn’t get married until they were well into their twenties or thirties. But Amber and Henry had argued for an earlier date. Still, the earlier date wasn’t going to cover their mishap. 

One more turn around the dance floor and Mark saw Amber more clearly. In her high cut, empire style dress, it was impossible to tell she was pregnant. And the more Mark thought about it, the more he realized that she’d been wearing the kinds of clothing that hid it easily. Even their school uniform had a ton of give in its structure. And Amber wasn’t that far along, if what she and Henry had said was true when Mark had walked in on them. She’d only just started showing, her stomach curving a bit, and it wasn’t noticeable unless you knew to look for it.

“No,” Zhou Mi said, startling Mark.

“Then why not?”

Zhou Mi leaned down and pressed his lips near Mark’s ear, never missing a beat as they waltzed. “Because, Mark, your cousin is absolutely terrified of what your uncle might do if he knew. Or rather, how he would use the child to manipulate Henry into doing anything and everything.”

It was mind boggling, and Mark had to voice, “I always knew there was some tension between uncle and Henry, but I never knew their relationship was like this. My mom always just said Henry was too much like his mom, and not enough like his dad, and that was why they had tension. But uncle wouldn’t really use his own grandchild against Henry, right?”

“I don’t know,” Zhou Mi said honestly, “but Henry is about to become a father. His priorities have shifted to his child, and it’s a risk he isn’t willing to take at the moment. It’s understandable. You uncle has always been radical, Mark. But lately he’s become completely unmanageable with his opinions and actions. He seems to be losing his grip with reality around him, and that scares Henry and Amber. It should scare you, too.” 

The music was starting to pick up, hopefully into a crescendo that would mark the end of the first and only dance Mark was required to participate in.

“Henry has to know that they won’t be able to hide this for very long,” Mark pointed out. “Amber just hit her second trimester. She’s showing now. She’s got maybe a month more before it’s too obvious. What are they going to do after that? What can I do to help them?”

Zhou Mi gave him a pleased smile. “You never cease to amaze me, Mark”

Mark frowned. “What? Why?”

The hand Zhou Mi had on his waist curled a little tighter as he said, “There are over two hundred people in this room, born and bred to think they are far superior to the person standing next to them. But not one of them, when faced with this kind of situation, would first think of how to protect their family, rather than how to exploit this information.”

Mark felt a lump form in his throat. Why was being complimented by Zhou Mi such a thrill to him?

“In any case,” Zhou Mi said, “Henry and Amber were very aware that they didn’t have to hide the pregnancy for very long. Just until you were introduced and became the head of your family.”

“That matters?”

“Of course it does, Zhou Mi said easily. “Because now they can elope and they’ll have your permission to do so. That effectively takes away most of your uncle’s power over Henry, and protects his child.”

Permission. Mark wanted to laugh at that. Henry wasn’t the type to need permission for anything, least of all from his four years younger cousin. But Mark was slowly starting to realize the imbalance of power within the pureblood vampires. It was something he was grateful his parents had hidden from him for so long.

“So I guess this is where you tell me why Henry and Amber disappeared for a couple days.”

Mark had been right about the music. It was obviously coming to an end, which meant he and Zhou Mi were almost done dancing. If he stayed on the floor, trying to sneak another dance with Zhou Mi to learn more information, he’d risk almost certainly having to dance with someone else. That wasn’t something he wanted. He had big plans to slink out of the ballroom as fast as possible, get back to his room and hide for the remainder of the night.

“They left to get permission from the head of Amber’s family to elope,” Zhou Mi revealed. “Henry will have yours, and she needed hers. Now that they have both, I don’t imagine you’ll see either of them for a couple days after this. They’ll need to elope quickly, before your uncle catches on, before he can put any plans in motion to stop them. Things are changing, Mark. Everything is changing now.”

With a huge sweep of sound the music ended, and Mark found himself clapping along with the others. He was done for the night, he’d fulfilled his obligations, and the weight off his shoulders was something indescribable. 

In a teasing tone, Zhou Mi asked, “are you planning on ducking out now?”

Flatly, Mark wondered, “Is it that obvious?”

“No,” Zhou Mi laughed. He sobered a minute. “But can I burden you for one more dance?”

“Another?” Mark asked with a strained voice.

“For my sister,” Zhou Mi reminded.

Mark’s eyes looked for her in the crowd, and after a second more he spotted her on the other side of the room, bouncing a bit apprehensively as she looked in their direction.

“You don’t have to,” Zhou Mi said softly. “If you wish to make your getaway, go now. I’ll dance with her instead. She won’t be too disappointed. I think she’s happy enough just to be left off our family’s property. She doesn’t take well to confinement.”

No matter the conflicting feelings Mark knew he was drowning in with Zhou Mi, his sister didn’t deserve to feel any of the backlash. She was innocent. And if she wanted a dance, how could Mark deny her.

“Okay,” Mark said, and it didn’t feel like a burden like he’d expected it to. “I’ll dance with her.”

Zhou Mi beckoned her over and she was all but sprinting to their side, her tiny feet slapping loudly as she rushed to them.

“Prince Mark,” she gushed out, breathing deeply and then dipping into a deeper curtsy.

“Behave yourself, mei-mei,” Zhou Mi told her affectionately, passing a hand over her head as Mark took her into his arms and the music began once more.

“Thank you for dancing with me,” she said quickly, proving like Zhou Mi, to be a better dancer than Mark was. “I know your dance card must be terribly full.” She blushed in a pretty way and leaned into his hold slightly. 

“Of course it isn’t full for you,” Mark assured her.

Her head tipped up almost comically to peer at him. “Thank you very much, Prince Mark.” It was astounding to him how tiny and petite she was in comparison to her lager than life brother. “Thank you so much.”

Mark missed a step, but she was such a deft dancer that she made it seem like nothing had happened at all. “For what, Liling?”

Even quieter, she said, “For making my brother smile. He never smiles at anything anymore. Except at you.”

She didn’t meant it to be manipulative in any way. Mark knew that. She was only a child. She was years younger than he was, and probably cloistered away and unaware of how vampire politics worked.

But when Mark looked for Zhou Mi, finding him across the room speaking with Henry and Amber, their eyes met. And Zhou Mi was very much smiling at him.

Damn.

In that instance, Mark knew full well that those burgeoning feelings he’d been having for Zhou Mi were still there. He’d thought they were gone for good, but he’d been wrong. He’d been very wrong. And if anything, they were only getting stronger.


	18. Eighteen

Mark danced twice with Liling that evening. She’d just been too cute to deny a second dance to, reminding him of Joey so much in the blunt but not cruel way they both spoke. And then he danced with Henry and Amber respectively, too afraid to make a break for the door and get caught by one of the party guests laying in wait.

To avoid being stuck in the arms of someone who was insincere and not a friend or ally, Mark even allowed himself to dance with Siwon who’d brought his own little sister as a guest.

“Can I call upon you?” Siwon asked, surprising Mark as they danced a single waltz. Kyuhyun was the only one who’d ever officially exercised decorum for the talks they had. And Siwon wasn’t exactly going to Hawthorne anymore.

Confused, Mark asked, “Tonight?”

Siwon, who didn’t look at all devilishly playful like he could be some times, instead delivered firmly, “That would be incredibly improper. And should anyone see me slipping away with you, with Zhou Mi here, there would be consequences.”

Something was wrong. Mark could sense it. “Then when? What’s going on?”

“We need to talk,” Siwon stated, and while he a was proficient dancer, he certainly wasn’t graceful or light on his feet. Mostly he seemed preoccupied. 

“Okay …” Mark said a bit uncomfortably. 

“I need to speak with Kyuhyun as well,” Siwon informed him. “I’ll be visiting Hawthorne as soon as he’ll see me. I’d like to speak with the both of you then.”

Once more, Mark asked, this time less kindly, “What’s going on? Is there a problem?”

Tight lipped, Siwon continued to lead the dace, but he didn’t offer an answer to Mark. Instead his worrying silence had Mark turning to look for Kyuhyun who’d been dancing with various partners the whole time, never showing favoritism to any one vampire. When Mark did spot him, Kyuhyun gave him a worried and unsure look.

If Kyuhyun didn’t know what was going on, and Siwon seemed the type to tell him everything, Mark was even more concerned than before.

“There’s been a … I need to …”

“Siwon,” Mark said firmly. “What is it about?”

Siwon shook his head. “It’s not safe to talk about in public.”

Mark leaned closer. “Not safe? Is someone in danger? Are you in danger? Tell me something, please.”

Mark’s feet got tangled up a bit and Siwon pulled him through it before saying, “Will you trust me on this? Trust that I have something of utmost importance to tell you, and Kyuhyun as well, but it must be in absolute privacy. If you allow me to call on you, I will tell you everything. And this is something you will need to know. Something that will change everything.”

“Alright,” Mark agreed. “But Siwon …” Mark blew out a frustrated breath. 

A second later Siwon was pulling away, in the middle of the dance, leaving Mark stranded at the center of dancing couples. And very awkwardly.

He wasn’t sure what to do until Zhou Mi was sliding in place, taking Mark up into his arms like Mark belonged there, and getting them back into the rhythm of the music. 

“May I ask what that was about?” Zhou Mi asked. “He didn’t look pleased.”

“I don’t think I did anything,” Mark said, biting his lip. “He just wanted to know if he could come talk to me when I get back to Hawthorne. He was very insistent. And he left the second I said it was okay. I don’t know what’s going on, but it can’t be good. He said he couldn’t talk about whatever it is, here. He said it wasn’t safe.” Mark asked uncertainly, “What could be that important, that he felt like it wasn’t safe to say it here?”

The music slowed and Mark felt himself being pulled closer to Zhou Mi’s body. It would have been an improper sight with anyone else, but it wasn’t lost to Mark that Zhou Mi was his match. He was expected to marry Zhou Mi one day and have a family with him. That was all anyone else would see. 

Maybe that was a good thing. Mark honestly didn’t know what he was going to do about Zhou Mi anymore. Zhou Mi had hurt him deeply, and Mark couldn’t forget that so easily. But his reasons, namely Liling, had thrown Mark’s perception of the matter at hand, completely off. Mark couldn’t let her get hurt if he could help it, and until he had a solution, he couldn’t publicly dissolve their match. 

For the moment, to protect Zhou Mi’s little sister, it was best that people like Mark’s uncle and Zhou Mi’s family perceived their relationship as progressing. Lu Han was surely out there watching. And with any luck he’d report back to the head of his family to buy Zhou Mi and Mark some additional time.

“I’m sure you’ll handle it,” Zhou Mi said comfortably, and Mark found himself resting his head against Zhou Mi’s chest as they swayed. “You always manage.”

“But I’m really worried this time. More than ever. He looked … scared. He looked scared about something, Zhou Mi, and I have never seen him scared before.”

“You told him he could call on you?”

“Of course,” Mark replied.

He felt Zhou Mi nod. “Then I’ll inform your security force before you leave for Hawthorne. Hoya and Dongwoo will both be waiting for you when you step off the plane. Please follow their advice as much as you can. Don’t let their ages fool you. They know what they’re doing. They’ll keep you safe.”

“Oh,” Mark breathed out. “You won’t …”

“Be there,” Zhou Mi finished for him. “No, I will not. But I remind you, I did not choose the beginning of your security detail lightly. You can trust them.”

“Wait. I have to tell you something,” Mark started awkwardly. “I can’t … we have to keep our match. At least for now.”

Guardedly, Zhou Mi pressed, “What brought on this change of mind?”

“Your sister,” Mark said without preamble. “I can’t do anything that might get her hurt.”

“I didn’t tell you about her in order to force your hand on this,” Zhou Mi said tensely.

“I know,” Mark replied, and he believed that. “But the truth is, I don’t want to hurt her. She’s precious to you, and innocent in this whole mess, and … I feel …”

Calmly, Zhou Mi cautioned, “You don’t have to say anything you don’t want to. You don’t have to confirm or deny anything. Do not feel as if you have to.”

Mark all but blurted out, “I have really strong feelings for Jackson, okay? They’re the real kind of feelings, too. But maybe I feel something for you, too. I don’t know what it is, but it wasn’t there before. Liling is precious to me, too, and I am not letting her get hurt. So for now, until I figure something out for her, or until I figure out my feelings for you, we keep the match. We keep things as they are.”

Zhou Mi didn’t answer, he merely gave Mark a blank look.

It made Mark feel unsure. “I’m not trying to lead you on! Or give you false hope or anything like that. I just want to be sure, before I do anything. I have to be sure. Do you understand?”

Slowly, a smile spread onto Zhou Mi’s face. “I’ll update the plane’s manifest, then, to include myself. And I’ll inform my family that I won’t be able to accompany Liling back to them.”

“Oh. Good.” Mark felt himself sweating. He was so ready for the night to be over.

“And Mark?”

“Hm?”

Zhou Mi gave Mark and even kinder smile. “You’re not leading me on.”

Mark finally grinned back at him, and the rest of the dance went smoothly.

The night was thankfully, starting to wind down almost an hour later, with Mark having danced almost exclusively with Zhou Mi. It was easier that way, and it benefited the both of them.

“Ready to go?” Zhou Mi asked as Mark’s feet started to drag, feeling heavy and burning with overuse. He’d squeezed his feet into shinny, proper dress shoes many, many hours earlier, and it felt like he was paying for it. “No one will try to stop you if I walk with you.”

Mark inquired, “Won’t it look like I’m going off with you for a booty call?”

“Possibly,” Zhou Mi laughed. “But we are matched, so I advise you to let them think what they want. Unless you’d like to tell them otherwise?” Zhou Mi lifted an eyebrow suggestively.

Mark smacked his arm playfully.

“No need to worry yourselves,” a voice cut in, Kyuhyun appearing at Mark’s elbow. “Mark and I have things to discuss away from anyone who might be listening. I’ll see him safely to his room, Zhou Mi. Rest your worries”

Zhou Mi nodded. “I’ll hold you to that,” Zhou Mi then gave Mark a fond look. “I promised my sister the last dance tonight. I think I’ll take care of that. Afterwards I’ll retire to my room. If you have need of me, call without hesitation.”

Slipping out of the room was easier than Mark expected, even with sunrise so close. The guests had begun to load up on the last of the blood and alcohol, and with most of them either talking to each other or dancing, there was no one left to pay him any mind. Mark wondered how many of them would make it back to the nearby city in time, and how many of them would be stuck sleeping in the spare rooms. Or camping out under tables and on chairs more than a little drunk. Mark hoped for the later.

“I apologize for missing the chance to dance with you,” Kyuhyun said, sounding stressed. “My dance card was full before I realized it, and bowing out was not an option.”

Mark pointed out, “Dance cards are more for show. You don’t have to stick to them.”

Kyuhyun corrected, “You don’t. Mark, you’re matched. You’re spoken for. But the council is quite disrespectful in accepting my want for space since Grace’s death. They’re pressuring me to take an interest in one of the many available sons or daughters that I might find at least a bit compatible. I hope tonight satisfied them, as my patience is at an all time low.”

“I thought you could pick your own match now that you’re the head of your family?” Mark asked.

He and Kyuhyun headed down the long hallway that would take them back to the main portion of the house. 

At they neared it, the party getting more faint in the distance, Kyuhyun said, “I will have the ultimate say in who I choose, but I must choose. That is not something I can fight nor win. Even if I proceed to have a very lengthy engagement, there must be one, and at least the promise of an eventual heir through natural means or surrogacy.”

Mark grumbled out, “That sucks.”

Kyuhyun inclined his head. “But in contrast, you and Zhou Mi looked exceptionally close out there,” Kyuhyun said as they moved through the house at a leisurely pace. “I’ve been to quite a few introductions, and matched pairs rarely look so happy to be dancing together. Is there a marriage in the near future, despite what you’ve told me?”

“No,” Mark said a bit gruffly. “I’m not getting married any time soon. You’re more likely that I am, in the next few years.” No matter what happened, with Jackson or Zhou Mi, he wouldn’t marry for a long time. It was respectable for matched pairs to have engagements at least a decade long, if not more. Mark fully intended to take advantage of that.

“I would reserve that comment for a later date, Mark. Your sister was precious to me. Replacing her in my heart is unthinkable at the moment, but some things are unavoidable. And the council will not be denied. That is something you’re soon to learn. When a majority of them decide something, the pressure is overwhelming. Even when we’re supposed to be their equal.”

“But,” Mark pointed out, sidestepping around Kyuhyun, “I’ve been told a hundred times now that matches aren’t about love. They’re about compatibility, preserving bloodlines, and power moves. So you could just pick someone at random. You don’t have to love them, right? You just have to stand next to them and work with them, essentially. That’s what people have been asking me to do with Zhou Mi.”

Kyuhyun gave him an impressed nod. “True. But I’m rather fond of the idea of loving the person I give myself to wholly. I would like to spend the rest of my nights, and wake up next to, the person that consumes all my thoughts, wants and desires.”

Maybe he and Kyuhyun were kindred spirits in that way. “Yeah. I feel the same way.”

Kyuhyun only continued to walk.

“Anyway” Mark said with a sigh, “I don’t know about Zhou Mi. Sometimes we get along, sometimes we don’t. Sometimes he makes me so happy, but I just got done being angry with him. We’re hot and cold a lot.”

“So,” Kyuhyun drawled, “it’s a lot like already being married.”

Mark gave him a dark look.

Before long Mark said, “Do you know what’s going on with Siwon? He came to me really upset and wanted to talk, but didn’t think it was safe to.”

“No,” Kyuhyun said, sounding troubled. “But he’s been distant lately. We usually speak frequently, but there’s been limited communication as of late. I thought it might have something to do with my refusing him for the last and final time. But I think it may be something more--something much worse.”

“He’s coming to see me,” Mark replied. “And he said you too, actually. As soon as we’re back at Hawthorne to finish the semester. I guess we’ll find out then.”

Kyuhyun didn’t look pleased or patient, and Mark felt the same way.

They were around halfway to Mark’s room when Kyuhyun asked, “You wanted to speak to me? I’m certainly not taking this stroll with you for fun. I could be back at the ballroom, fending off desperate daughters and overconfident sons.”

As they walked, Mark scratched a hand through his hair and admitted, “I think I might owe you an apology. For reacting so poorly when you brought your suspicions fully to light. I’m not saying you’re right! You still have no evidence. But I’ve since come to realize that maybe I idolized my uncle too much. I grew up loving him like a third parent, and in my eyes, for the longest time, he couldn’t do any wrong. I let that get in the way of my instincts.”

Kyuhyun arched an eyebrow. “Your instincts are telling you something?”

“They are,” Mark admitted slowly. “That something here isn’t right. I don’t know what, but I know the feeling of something being wrong. My uncle has been doing some … questionable things. He’s been acting suspicious and I’m not as confident as I was before.”

Carefully, Kyuhyun inquired, “What do you plan to do with these new instincts of yours?”

“Play the waiting game?” Mark shrugged. “If what you’re claiming is true, he’ll need to make sure that I’ going to vote the way he wants me to before the actual vote happens. He won’t risk not being sure. If he tries to even touch the subject, I guess I’ll know you were right even a little. If he tries to influence me on the subject, it’ll be obvious, considering he must know the way I’m leaning and it isn‘t towards him. He must know I don’t want to do anything that would lead us to war, no matter how angry I am that the humans who hurt my family will probably get away with it, then.”

“Will you confront him then? If he does?”

Mark didn’t know for sure. How did one go about accusing one of their few living family members that they were responsible for the deaths of other family members?

“I don’t think he’d admit to it if I did. Kyuhyun, honestly, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I just know my uncle isn’t as honest and true as I thought he was. And I know the vote is a little less than a week away. One way or another, something is going to come to light.”

“Watch yourself,” Kyuhyun said, Mark stopping them at the hallway that led to his room. “If I’m wrong, at the very least, your uncle will still try to manipulate you. And at the worst …”

Mark leaned back against the wall. “At the worst, he’ll try to kill me like he did my parents and siblings.”

“He won’t try,” Kyuhyun said, gripping his arm tightly. “He will succeed. And I think he’ll take his chances with Henry being appointed temporary heir after you. It might be a fight for him to secure that, but if he’s desperate enough, he’ll try it. You are only good to him when you’re doing what he wants and playing the part. Keep that in mind.”

A hand trailing along the wall as he walked to support himself, Mark stumbled his way back to his room the rest of the way alone, his mind and heart heavy.

There were several text messages waiting for him on his phone, but Mark didn’t have the energy to respond to any of them, even Jackson’s. Instead he took a long, hot shower, changed into his night clothes and climbed in bed. With the blankets pulled high, he found sleep faster than expected.

He slept through what was left of the night, almost the entirety of the day, and when he did roll out of bed, feeling a little better and refreshed, Amber and Henry were gone.

Mark ended up seated at the breakfast nook in his pajamas, stirring a bowl of oatmeal, while his uncle questioned him about where they’d gone. Mark made a point to not look to Zhou Mi across the room as he sprinkled some fruit cubes and brown sugar into the oatmeal.

“Henry didn’t say anything to me about going anywhere,” Mark said with his straightest face. “Did he go back to school early? Zhou Mi, do you know?”

With an expertly hidden smile, Zhou Mi said, “I was unaware that he was gone until just now.”

“Imagine that,” Mark said, dumping another spoonful of brown sugar in his oatmeal. He had to admit, messing with his uncle, at least a little, was entertaining. Especially if it meant that Henry and Amber could make a clear getaway and elope. Mark had kind of always imagined that he’d stand up at Henry’s side during his wedding as his best man, but his cousin’s happiness was worth more than his expectations.

Mark could feel his uncle’s eyes burning into him before the man gave a huff and exited the room.

“Where do you think he’s going?” Mark dared to ask when the coast looked like it was all clear.

Zhou Mi posed, “To issue orders for a statewide roadblock to be set up likely.”

Mark shook his head in disbelief. “I hope Henry and Amber are far away.”

“I’m sure they are,” Zhou Mi assured.

They had their breakfast meal in relatively comfortable silence and afterwards Mark slipped out of the house to call Jackson and let him know he planned to leave soon.

Jackson gave a laugh over the phone line and teased, “From the way you described this introduction I half expected your cousin to come carrying you back as a puddle of goo. But it looks like you survived, and no worse for wear.”

Mark replied, “Okay, I’ll fess, it wasn’t as bad as I expect it to be. Surviving wasn’t really that difficult.”

“So you’ll be back today?” Jackson questioned. “Because I’m missing my super hot boyfriend.”

A smile found its way onto Mark’s face as he questioned, “Are you missing me or my study guide for our upcoming semester assessment tests?” When there was a lengthy silence on the line, Mark laughed out, “You know, Jr. takes good notes, too. And he’s probably so distracted by making out with JB now that you could slip them out of his bag without much notice.”

“You’re amazing, you know?” Jackson said, warmth in his voice. “Totally kickass, awesome and hot. The best combination ever. So get your butt back here ASAP, because I need to show you exactly how much I appreciate having you for a boyfriend.”

Mark pulled the phone from his ear for a second to check the clock, then reported back, “I think Zhou Mi and I are going to leave in about an hour. The flight is long, but I’ll be back today.”

“I’ll rub your back,” Jackson offered, the suggestive tone in his voice all too obvious.

“More like you’ll use a massage as an excuse to grope me.”

Jackson asked, “Have you had any complaints about said groping yet?”

Through the nearby window Mark could see his uncle pass by and he hurried to tell Jackson, “I have to go now. I still need to pack the last of my things. I’ll see you later tonight, okay? I really missed you.” He was eager to see Jackson and reaffirm all the feelings he knew he felt for him. And make out. Mark didn’t want to inflate his ego anymore than necessary, but Jackson was an exceptionally good kisser. 

With absolute clarity, Jackson responded, “I missed you, too. More than I expected to. More than I really want to say. Hint: it’s a lot.”

Mark felt his heart pick up a little at the confession. “See you soon.”

With the call over, Mark hurried after his uncle, barely catching up to him as the man reached the bottom of the grand staircase in the foyer.

“Mark,” his uncle sighed out, looking like he needed a good rest, “if Henry contracts you at any point, or if you can think of where he might have gone, please tell me immediately.”

Mark gave an easy nod, but had absolutely no intention of following through. In this case he sided with Henry without hesitation. He and Zhou Mi would do their best to protect Henry and Amber for as long as possible, even if it meant hiding their location from Henry’s own father.

“Uncle Marcus,” Mark said, hanging a little on the banister. “I wanted to ask you to call a car for me. Actually, for Zhou Mi and I. To the airport. We should leave soon. I want to have time to settle in at Hawthorne before classes start up again.”

His uncle frowned deeply, his forehead crinkling up. “A car?”

This time Mark had his own frown. “To take us back to school.”

“Ah.” His uncle waved a hand. “I’ll call a car for Zhou Mi, but it’ll be best if you remain here.”

Mark’s fingers tightened around the banister a bit in fear. “Why would I stay here? I’m right in the middle of studying for my progress exams. They start next week. I can’t just stay here.”

“Mark.” His uncle put a heavy, almost suffocating hand on Mark’s shoulder. “The vote is less than a week away. This will be the biggest decision of your life. And considering your life has been constantly placed in danger when you’re from my side, I really do think it’s best that you stay here and then travel with me when the time is upon us.”

Out of the corner of his eye Mark could see Zhou Mi’s lanky form. He was silent, standing like a shadow and Mark was certain his uncle hadn’t noticed that they had an interloper. 

“You’re going?” 

“Of course I am,” his uncle said, taking a step, then another up the stairs. “You may have had your introduction, Mark, but you’ll need me a bit more to navigate the council. I will continue to help you.”

Something terrible was creeping up from the back of Mark’s mind, making him fight the most uncomfortable feeling he’d ever experienced. 

“Uncle,” Mark tried again. “Kyuhyun is traveling from the school to wherever the council is having its vote. Why can’t I just go with him?”

“San Francisco,” his uncle said without pause. “The city has been deemed a safe place for the council at the moment. The vote will take place there.”

Feeling absolutely brazen, Mark said, “I don’t want to stay here. I want to go back to school. To my friends.”

His uncle’s eyes narrowed. “To the halfblood.”

Fear ripped its way through Mark’s body in an instance. His uncle knew about Jackson. His uncle knew that Jackson was important to him, and knowledge, at least with his uncle, was power.

“He’s my friend,” Mark tried.

“I daresay he’s more than that,” his uncle said, voice raising. “And you’ll do to watch yourself now, Mark. Dalliances are to be expected in your youth, perhaps even with your inferiors, but you’ve been introduced now. You have a match. Do not shame this family or his by exhibiting any public displays of affection with another. I forbid it.”

“You can’t,” Mark choked out, still feeling like a little boy when in the company of his uncle, “tell me who I can and can’t---”

“I certainly can,” the older man cut right in. “You are my responsibly, Mark. You are a reflection of myself.”

That was it, wasn’t it? His uncle didn’t want him doing anything that could have other purebloods talking about him at the next social gathering. His uncle was trying to save face, if nothing else. 

“Zhou Mi and I are just friends,” Mark said, losing his temper and all decorum, and forgetting momentarily about the charade he’d agreed to keep going.

His uncle gave a low chuckle. “You can call him what you will, friend or not. But your parents intended for him to be your match. They contemplated the match for longer than you can imagine, nearly since your birth, and I will see it brought to fruition. Do not test me on this, Mark.”

His uncle was moving away then, climbing the stairs at a record pace.

Mark had to do something.

He had to plant his flag in the sand, and make a stand. He had to make it clear that he was an adult now, and nothing was going to change that.

“Uncle!”

Mark looked away for just a second, back to Zhou Mi who gave him a strong nod.

“I believe we’re doing speaking, Mark.”

“No,” Mark declared, standing as tall as he could. “We’re not. Because you need to accept that I’m not little anymore. I’m not young and naïve. I’ve grown up. I’m an adult now. And I’m making my own choices. The choice, therefore, that I’ve made is to go back to school until the vote is held. I’ll be safe enough with Zhou Mi. He hasn’t let anything happen to me yet, while I’m with him, and I don’t think he’s about to start now. I’ll be there for the vote. I’ll do my duty. But I need you to recognize that I’m choosing to leave and go back to school now, whether you like it or not.”

His uncle turned furious in the blink of an eye, and Mark almost lost all his resolve at once, listening to his uncle ground out, “I will not have you speak to me like this in my own house. I have done everything for you. I have--”

“I suggest,” Zhou Mi said, coming to stand near Mark, “that you listen to the head of your family, and do as he asks. Call a car for him.”

“I have never--”

“Or the council will hear about this,” Zhou Mi added. “I believe the council is very strict about the power structure of the thirteen families. If they sense you’re trying to disrupt it, for any reason other than a legitimate one, they will take action. Mark hasn’t made a too taxing request. In fact, it’s a rather simple one. Call the car for him.”

Zhou Mi was like a mountain. The kind of mountain that Mark wanted to lug around everywhere with him just to feel a little stronger next to.

Mark’s uncle swung his gaze away from Zhou Mi and back to Mark, imploring, “Stay here with me, Mark. There are still things you need to know in order to make an informed vote. There are quite a few ledgers and record books that you may be interested in located in the library, and you still need to brush up on your council law. Staying would be in your best benefit.”

“I don’t need to stay and learn anything else,” Mark said, risking a quick glance to Zhou Mi. “I know how I’m going to vote, uncle. I’ve known for a while now. Reading about the first war between humans and vampires, or the initial treaty draft that ultimately ended in failure, is unnecessary. I’ve done my homework. I’m ready to vote.”

“You can’t just--”

Mark felt Zhou Mi’s large hand wrap around his shoulder and steer him away, the bigger man saying, “I’ll call the car for us. Get the ret of your things quickly.”

Mark packed like a madman, stuffing all his clothes, electronics, and small items into his travel bag as fast as he could, Zhou Mi lurking near his door, obviously keeping an eye out for Mark’s uncle.

Less than half an hour later there was a black sedan in front of the house and Mark was making his way towards it, looking forward to getting back to Hawthorne Academy and Jackson and his normal routine.

“Mark,” his uncle called out, stopping him from crossing the threshold to the outside. Zhou Mi was already at the car, speaking with the driver, and thoroughly distracted.

“I wish you would stay,” his uncle said, sounding more subdued than ever. “Stay and keep me company, if nothing else.”

“I can’t,” Mark replied, trying to sound as gentle as possible. “I have school and my friends and my whole life.”

“The vote--”

“I told you,” Mark repeated, “I’ve already decided how I’ll vote. I don’t need to stay here and think about it.”

His uncle had such a wary look on his face. “Have you considered the--”

It was a risky move, one that Mark wasn’t sure he ought to play right away, but he couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t help saying, “I’m not going to do anything with this upcoming vote that might lead us down the road to war. That’s my decision, uncle. I can’t judge the whole of the human race by the acts of a few, misguided and bigoted members. You’re always going on about how we vampires are superior to humans in every way, so I’m only taking that to heart with this vote. I’ll rise above those violent acts and I’ll be merciful. I’ll forgive and I won’t wage war.”

As Mark ducked away from his uncle, a stunned look on the man’s face, he couldn’t help feeling every bit the adult that vampire society now said he was. 

“Ready?” Zhou Mi asked, holding a hand out to him. He guided Mark into the back of the car easily and then slid in behind him. “What did you linger for?”

The car rumbled to life and Mark looked out the window to watch his uncle’s house grow smaller in the distance.

“My uncle just wanted to try one last time to get me to say. So I told him why I wouldn’t.”

Zhou Mi gave him a wary look. “You played your hand.”

Quietly, aware of the driver in the front seat, Mark confided, “The vote is in six days. And I’m going back to Hawthorne where my uncle’s reach is limited. You’re going to be there to watch my back if he tries anything, I have the start of my security detail waiting for me there, and I know Kyuhyun’s looking out for me, too. I just wanted him off my back about the vote, Zhou Mi. I wanted to be able to breathe.”

“And you think you accomplished that?”

They rode for several more minutes in silence before Mark leaned over and whispered into Zhou Mi’s ear, “I told him under no circumstances would I vote for anything that would lead us towards war.”

Hidden from view from the driver, if the driver cared enough to look, Zhou Mi squeezed Mark’s hand and whispered back, “I’ve been hoping to hear you say that. Officially.”

Mark pulled away from Zhou Mi to watch the scenery fly by them, greens and browns blurring together. “He didn’t look relieved.”

“Hm?”

Mark pressed his forehead against the glass window. “He looked disappointed in me. And then something worse.”

“Worse?”

“I--” 

Mark was just beginning to try and explain the feeling he’d gotten when his uncle had given him their parting words when suddenly Zhou Mi interrupted him. The older man reached forward suddenly, telling the driver sharply, “We’re being followed.”

Mark turned in his seat immediately. “Who’d be following us out here? It’s a private road.” He got one good look at the black, nearly identical car behind them, before suddenly he was thrown forward as the car in pursuit slammed into them.

“Mark!” Zhou Mi shouted, reaching to help him up from where he’d fallen down by the floorboards. “Get us out of here!” he shouted at the driver.

“What’s going on?” Mark demanded, reaching up for Zhou Mi, panic threatening to overtake him. “Why did they hit us!”

The car lurched again and Mark fell once more, slamming down into the floorboards, wedged down so tightly he could barely think about getting up. He’d never felt so stupid for not putting on his seatbelt, but he’d been distracted at the time. It was a huge oversight to him now.

“Mark!” Zhou Mi shouted. 

Mark felt the car slide to the side, the sound of wheels against asphalt screaming into his ears. His stomach lurched up into his chest as the car tipped, and all of the sudden he was flying up through the air, everything tilting to the side.

Weightless. He was weightless.

He heard himself screaming, his voice carrying much louder than Zhou Mi’s, then he was slamming into the ceiling of the car, pain flushing through his body. Gravity pinned him heavily, terror numbed most everything else, and a half second later he was gone, lost to a dark void that robbed him of all conscious thought.


	19. Nineteen

“You realize this isn’t right, don’t you?”

Mark glanced over at his mother, frowning openly at her as he struggled to get his thickly woven gardening gloves on. He’d managed one already, and gotten the strap at his wrist done up properly, but he was having trouble with the second, and completely unused to maneuvering fingers that seemed twice their normal size. “Hmm?”

“Mark,” she said again, and made a firm expression. “Look around you.”

At her urging, Mark did. And he found there was nothing particularly out of place. The two of them were knee deep in his mother’s garden, ready to prune flowers that had been pollinated months earlier, and maybe even harvest a few of the vegetables that were ready. It was truly the taste of food that brought Mark back for more even as Grace and their older cousins shied away from food in general. And nothing tasted better than the food his mother grew. She had a green thumb like Mark had never seen before.

“Mark.”

“What?” Mark asked a bit sharply, irritated that apparently he was missing something. But then he was quick to say, “Sorry,” because he never wanted to snap at his mother, she wasn’t ever deserving of that kind of disrespect, and the one and only time they’d gotten into a screaming match, Mark’s bottom had been sore for almost a week. 

His mother’s face was gentle and encouraging, her eyes crinkling a little as she smiled. “Look up.”

Sitting back further on his haunches, Mark tipped his head back.

He felt the warmth on his skin the same moment he saw the blue skies, white clouds and blindingly yellow-white sun.

Mark’s eyes jerked back to his mother. His breath caught in his throat with a choke. “Mom?”

“Mark.”

Mark dared to look to his skin, then to hers. “We’re out in the sun.” And it was high enough in the sky that it had to be noon. It was the worst time of day for a vampire, the most dangerous, and it was unfathomable to Mark that they weren’t sizzling. Mark knew he ought to be writhing in agony. And even if his mother’s built up resistance would have afforded her more protection, she still knew to avoid the sun whenever possible. “We’re in the sun but we’re not burning.”

She asked, “Why?”

“I don’t …” Mark put a steadying hand down on the dirt ground in front of him. “I …”

“It’s not right, correct?” She pressed. “Why?”

Mark sucked in air sharply, his breaths growing more rapidly. No, she was correct, something wasn’t right. But he didn’t know what it was, or why. He just knew there was a building panic in his chest.

“Mark,” she said gingerly, and then ran one soft hand across his chin, tilting his face better towards her. “I can only do so much right now. You have to meet me at least half way, until I get a better hold on your mind.”

“I don’t understand,” Mark told her, and the confusion was weighing on him more than the heat from the sun.

In an odd way, the heat felt amazing. Vampires naturally ran cold. And they only got more cold the older they became. Mark so rarely felt the warmth of the sun, and typically only when he risked either sunset or sunrise.

But the heat also reminded him of when he’d waded out into the lake, caught in a dream that could have killed him. 

A dream that hadn’t felt right then, either.

“How can we be out in the sun?” his mother asked.

Mark pulled himself up more confidently and stated, “We can’t be. We can’t be out in the sun and not burn.”

“Then how is this happening?”

It didn’t make sense, and Mark didn’t know how, but the only clear answer was the only one that didn’t seem possible. “It’s not.”

His mother’s smile deepened. “You’re right. How come?”

“Because,” Mark eased out, “I’m …not awake. This is a dream.”

“Correct.”

“How?” Mark challenged back immediately. “How can I--”

He didn’t get much further before the picture of his mother in front of him started to blur. The world around them melted, colors blending together, and Mark was met with a rush of lightheadedness. 

Then he woke up.

When it happened, very slowly and with some trouble, it was to a whole world of pain. His eyes cracked open and he seized for air, feeling a terrible pressure on his chest, a throb of almost unbearable pain in his shoulder, and a sleepiness that felt more muggy and unnatural than anything he’d ever experienced before. Henry had the ability to push people to sleep, but this was nothing like that.

His mind nagged at him that there was something that had just happened. Something important. But he was distracted by the pain, and unsure about anything else. The nagging feeling didn’t disappear as more time passed, but it became less relevant.

He blinked his eyes open lethargically, wanting nothing but to roll over and go back to sleep. He was so tried, so impossibly tried.

“Mark?”

A second voice asked, “Prince Mark?”

At the sound of voices he tried turning to towards the origin, but a flash of hot pain shooting through his neck had him instead groaning and giving up on the gesture.

The first voice asked, “Is the sedative wearing off already? He seems like he’s in pain.”

Those words meant nothing to Mark. But he did recognize the canopy top above him when he cracked his eyes open for the second time. The odd shade of blue gave it away as the bed in his room at his uncle’s Vermont estate. The house where he’d had his introduction. The house that … he’d been leaving? Had he been leaving? His mind was so muddled. He remembered arriving, and some of his introduction, but not much else.

“I told you,” the second voice said in a reminding, almost condescending manner, “sedation in teenagers, vampire teenagers at that, is a tricky business. Too little and it’ll be ineffective. Too much and he’ll die. Neither does us any good, and you breathing down my neck is not helping matters. Let me gauge the situation at hand, and I’ll make a determination quickly. Do not crowd either of us.”

Mark frowned. Who was speaking? What was going on around him?

Mark strained hard, as hard as he could, and from the corner of his eye he could just barely see the form of his uncle and an unknown vampire. The other vampire was one that looked slightly familiar, but Mark couldn’t place him no matter how hard he thought about it.

Thinking about it hurt his head, anyway.

Mark had seen him somewhere before, but didn’t know where.

As pain continued to build in him, Mark cared less and less.

“Put him out again,” his uncle said harshly. 

The other vampire lectured, “Continued sedation will lead to prolonged effects.”

Mark clenched and unclenched his fingers. It was hard. Why was something so simple hard? What was wrong with him? Why did he feel this way? He couldn’t even begin to think about getting up. 

“Do it,” his uncle snapped. “Give him a bigger dose if necessary.”

A second later, as Mark was contemplating why it hurt to breathe, the vampire he was mysteriously familiar with leaned over him. He had a thin lips that pursed together to look even thinner before he said, “Prince Mark, I’m Doctor Piper. I’m here to take care of you.”

Feeling woozy, Mark questioned, “Doctor?”

“Yes, I’m a doctor. I doubt you remember me, but I was your cousin Henry’s primary pediatrician when he was younger.”

Mark’s mind wandered through the fact, his thoughts unfocused and without the normal sense of clarity that he knew should have been there. There was a Doctor Piper in his memories. Because when Henry had been young, he’d been sicker than was normal for a vampire. He’d been born premature, and though he was healthy and normal now, he hadn’t been at the start. Everyone had thought Henry would die. Everyone had thought Henry would be just another statistic, at least until his miraculous recovery. 

Mark had never pried, never asked any questions, but now he wondered what it was that Doctor Piper had done to save Henry’s life. A vampire hemophiliac was … something Mark didn’t know there was a cure for. He didn’t even know of another that had lived past infancy with the exceptionally rare disease. 

The man reached for a nearby black case and drew out a small bottle and syringe. “You were in a car accident. Do you remember that?”

Mark shook his head in the tinniest. He couldn’t drive. He didn’t have his license. It was something he’d been meaning to go for. If he got a license, he could get a car, and if he had a car, he and Jackson could go on dates whenever they wanted. “Where? How?”

“Don’t worry now,” the doctor said soothingly, drawing liquid into the syringe. “Your uncle is going to make sure you’re well taken care of. You’ve got several cracked ribs, your shoulder was dislocated, you suffered a moderate concussion, and there’s some severe bruising, but you’re going to recover with time and well placed energy. For now, however, it’s best if you just rest. You’ve already been released from the hospital. Now is simply a time for recovery.”

Hospital? How had he already been in and out of the hospital? Had anyone told Jackson? What about Zhou Mi and Henry?

“Uncle,” Mark called out, desperate for a familiar face.

“I’m here,” his uncle said, moving into his line of sight as the doctor pulled Mark’s arm out from beneath his blankets. His uncle’s cold fingers wrapped around his other wrist, holding in an almost protective way that Mark had thought he might never feel from him again.

“Car accident?” Mark tried again. He didn’t even remember getting in a car. He didn’t remember anything after dancing with Zhou Mi and Liling.

A curious and odd expression crossed his uncle’s face as the man said, “You were headed back to school, against my wishes I would like to point out. You were ambushed in the woods by humans within the ranks of the Humans First organization. They attempted to kill you, and were obviously unsuccessful. By they did wound you terribly, and it nearly was fatal.”

Mark had to close his eyes against the room spinning around him. “Don’t remember.” It was like being burned by fire every breath he took, and that was likely with whatever pain medication he had pumped into him at the moment. How much worse would it be without the medication? “Nothing but my introduction. I remember dancing.”

He heard his uncle ask the doctor, “Is that possible, Victor? Amnesia? How can he remember nothing from after his introduction?”

Mark felt a prick at the crook of his elbow and sighed against the sensation. He was almost pleased to go back to sleep.

“He experienced a moderate concussion, Marcus,” the doctor said. “While it has since reduced by now, there was some swelling of the brain. That’s enough to justify his lack of memory.”

With a hard edge still to his uncle’s voice, the man wanted to know, “Will his memory return?”

“Likely,” the doctor said. “With time. And without pressure to do so.”

Something else was said, but by the time the sound was echoing around him, Mark was already floating in a sea of tranquility. He was weightless, body falling heavy into the mattress, his mind deserting him for more favorable dreams.

Sleep. He needed to sleep. 

His uncle would watch over him and protect him.

And for Mark, there was only pleasant darkness for a long time.

At least until his mother’s face floated into his line of sight, the two of them in their home’s large music room, and she asked, “Back again so soon?”

Mark was seated on the cushioned chair near the piano where she was at, her fingers at home on the keys. She played beautifully, and had taught Grace as well. Mark could manage a few songs, in a rusty and unpolished way, but not much more than that. He’d never taken to the instrument like Grace had, or Tammy to her cello. 

The previous encounter slammed into Mark harshly. “You’re not my mother. You might have her face, but you’re not her.”

“Of course I’m not her,” she admitted immediately. “I couldn’t be her. Your mother is dead, Mark. And this house? This house doesn’t exist anymore outside of your memories. It burned and I doubt it’ll ever be rebuilt.”

Mark burst out angrily, “This isn’t a normal dream, so I want to know who you are and what’s going on!”

The person in his mother’s form tapped out a simple pattern on the piano. “You know who I am, Mark.” Her head turned towards him expectantly. “I’m not doing this on purpose, Mark. But there are rules, and I can’t make the connections for your brain. You have to do it on your own, and then I’ll fill in what I can.”

“Rules?” Mark frowned. “So you’re someone I know?”

“Not well,” she agreed, “but well enough.”

“Okay,” Mark said slowly. He could figure this out.

She interjected quickly, “Also, you might want to hurry. I don’t know how much time I have, and you have even less.”

Mark peered at her. This mysterious person might be wearing his mother’s skin, but everything was wrong. The smile on his mother’s face was too cunning, too calculating. Her posture was all wrong, too. Too upright. Mark’s mother never slouched, but she also always looked comfortable in her petite skin. Everything about the way his mother looked now was wrong.

“You’ve met me before in a dream,” she hinted. “I was unfair to you in it as well. I even placed you in danger. You could say I was testing the water with you.”

It was all Mark needed. “Siwon.”

Siwon, looking like his mother, closed the case over the piano keys and rested upon it. “Got it.”

Mark rumbled out, “Why are you wearing my mother’s face? What are you doing?”

“Contrary to what you may think,” Siwon said, and Mark hated that he was speaking in his mother’s sweet voice, “I have some control over dreams, not absolute. I have to take the form of someone you’re already dreaming about, if I want to have any kind of actual influence over what you see or do. I have to wait for you to be dreaming in the first place. I’ve been waiting for days, Mark.”

There was a warning on his mother’s face.

“Days?” Mark asked faintly. How could it be days?

Siwon nodded. “You were sleeping too deeply to dream for a very long time. I was starting to get desperate.”

“I had an accident.”

Siwon with is mother’s face, nodded. “You’re hurt very badly I think. I know what a healing sleep feels like when I’m trying to slip into someone’s dreams and they’re being blocked. But the circumstances surrounding your injuries are unknown. I’m not sure anyone knows for certain.”

Mark reeled back a little. “I was in the hospital. How can people not know? Is my uncle keeping everyone way?”

“Mark,” Siwon said, “You were never in the hospital from what I can determine--at least no one seems to know that, and I’ve been eavesdropping on everyone. And whatever your uncle has said to you, is a lie. Mark, your uncle is not what he seems. And you’re very much in danger.”

“Danger!”

A sudden wince crossed his mother’s face and the world glitched around them.

“What’s happening?” Mark asked feeling scared. His own stomach had turned over at the sight of everything going in and out of focus suddenly. “Am I okay?”

“It’s not you,” Siwon assured “It’s me. I think.”

Mark got to his feet and trekked the short distance to Siwon. “It’s you? Please, explain to me what’s going on.”

“I’m hurt,” Siwon said quickly and bluntly. “I don’t know what happened, but I’m just as much asleep as you are. I remember getting up one morning, having the cup of tea that I always have, sitting down to read the paper, and nothing else. And I don’t think I’m doing half as well as you. I might be dying. It’s hard to tell. But it took almost everything I had to find you when you started dreaming. And it’s hard to hang onto you. I don’t know how long I’m going to manage it.”

That couldn’t be true, Mark refused to believe it. Siwon couldn’t be so hurt he was dying. He was impossibly strong.

“Mark,” Siwon continued, “that’s not the important part. Listen to me. Kyuhyun suspected your uncle as being at fault for everything that has been happening since even before the attack on the council. He never had a concrete link between the two, and you never believed him fully even if you had your doubts, and that’s for a very specific reason. Mark, there’s no link because you were always missing key players. You can’t draw conclusions when you’re missing half the facts and twice as many middlemen. But that doesn’t meant Kyuhyun was wrong.”

“No,” Mark all but moaned out, refusing to hear that from Siwon. “My uncle would never! He’s taking care of me.”

“He caused your accident!”

Mark sat hard on the bench near him. “How do you know this? How can you say this?”

Again the world glitched, and it almost seemed as if it didn’t come back until the last possible second.

Hands shaking, Siwon said, “Mark, I did something very bad. I did something terrible--something unforgivable.”

Mark reached out for him, putting his hand over his mother’s--over Siwon’s. “Tell me.”

There were tears in his mother’s eyes as Siwon spoke through her voice, “Kyuhyun will never forgive me. Kyuhyun will kill me for it. And you might, too.”

“Kyuhyun loves you,” Mark argued back. “Even if he isn’t in love with you, he loves you very much. He loves you just about as much as I think he’s capable of loving someone, and now that Grace is gone, I think you’re the most important person to him. You’re his best friend. You’re his brother. You’re everything to him. No matter what you did, he won’t hurt you.”

Siwon squeezed his hand suddenly and harshly. “I know it’s hard for you to remember the things here that we talk about, when you wake up, but you have to try. Don’t forget, Mark.”

“I--”

“Don’t forget! Don’t trust your uncle! He didn’t just tell humans where the council was meeting. He helped orchestrate the whole thing, and he hasn’t been working alone. He’s just one of--”

“One of what?”

There was a frantic look on Mark’s mother’s face and he never hated it more that Siwon had chosen her. “He was the hand playing all the cards from the beginning, but he wasn’t the dealer. He was only doing as he was told. He made sure the right vampires died to put you in the right position. He took out the competition. Kyuhyun was never wrong about that. He’s been doing everything, playing you like a fool, but it’s not just him. There are plenty others, and your uncle is--”

Everything blinked out and Mark felt the pull of consciousness. 

The next time Mark woke his uncle was not there, and this time Mark was hooked up to an IV line feeding directly into his arm. The doctor was present however, looking through a file that Mark guessed was his own, humming quietly.

Everything was still foggy in Mark’s mind but now there was an urgency to the nagging feeling he’d been plagued with for ages.

Mark cleared his throat, still trying to get his bearing. He was still in bed and … out of the hospital? Wasn’t that what he’d been told? But why did that sound wrong?

“Awake again?” the doctor asked, somewhat impressed from his tone. “You’re far stronger than your uncle gives you credit for. To me, it sounded as if he thought you were a delicate flower, wafting in the wind, in need of protection.” The man put the file aside and took proper stock of Mark.

“IV?” Mark asked, trying to turn his hand closer to him. Fear gripped him tightly when he realized he couldn’t move at all. Not even his fingers. He was paralyzed. Oh, god, he was paralyzed.

“Calm down, young one.” The doctor put the back of his hand to Mark’s forehead. 

“I can’t move,” Mark gasped out, voice catching and threatening to develop into something more desperate.

The doctor reached for his black bag again, and out came the syringe. “It’s doubtful you remember the first time you woke, but you have several cracked ribs. Any attempt by you to move too severely could risk your life. You need to lie perfectly still for a while. You are healing quickly, almost miraculously, but you still need time.”

“What is that?” Mark asked with dread, watching the liquid in the bottle slosh around before being drawn up into the syringe. “What are you putting in me?” The unease he’d felt before was turning into a sinister feeling, urging him to get away. That feeling of something not being right was now a danger alarm going off in his head.

There was a port in the IV that the doctor easily slid the needle into, saying, “I’m only giving you something to put you back to sleep now, Prince Mark. You need to rest and recover.”

“Where’s my uncle?” Mark demanded.

The doctor soothed, “You’re going to be just fine, Prince Mark. You’ll go to sleep now and none of this will bother you anymore. You uncle will check in on you later. I’m going to give you a double dose this time, just to make sure you don’t wake up before your body is ready.” 

Before Mark could protest anything, or give any real resistance, he was out again. 

He heard his mother in his head, promising, “I’m going to get help for you, Mark. I’m so sorry for what I did.”

Then he heard Grace say, “You can’t just lay there, though. You have to help yourself first. I can’t help you until you help yourself first.”

None of it made any sense, and reality blurred with something distinctly less. 

The third time Mark woke, he felt even more tired than before. He still couldn’t move, he could barely even breathe, and he kept his eyes closed as he tried to calm himself. The room was eerily quiet.

He fell back asleep, pushed by the sedative running through him, before he could manage to do anything.

“This is it,” his mother said. 

Only Mark knew it wasn’t his mother. It was Siwon.

“I can’t reach you any longer,” she said, and she was barely in focus. Mark couldn’t even tell where they were. “There’s something blocking me from fully reaching you, and it’s getting stronger. I’m getting weaker.”

Mark’s mind felt clear, ironically enough, for the first time. He told Siwon, “The doctor is pumping me full of drugs.”

“It could be my end,” Siwon argued. “I do think I’m dying. I think I don’t have long. Maybe a day or two. I can feel it. This is what death feels like.”

“Where are you?” Mark asked. “What happened to you?”

Siwon fussed even further. “Your uncle knew. He knew, Mark. He knew that I was going to tell. He knew that I was at my limit, that threatening my sister was the last straw, and it was happening as soon as I thought it was safe.”

“Tell?” Mark asked slowly, “whatever it is this thing that you did? And who threatened your sister? My uncle?”

Siwon, barely distinguishable in his mother’s skin, hastily said, “When I knew you were safe with Kyuhyun, I was going to tell everything I knew. I was going to … to hurt Kyuhyun and hurt you and ruin myself with the truth.”

“What did you do?” Mark asked, scared of the answer.

Instead of answering, Siwon said, “I think, though I’m not sure, your uncle is responsible for how often you seem to be unconscious. He’s probably got you locked away somewhere. He’s reached his endgame, no doubt. Mark, I’ve been trying to get through to someone else--anyone else, to tell them you’re in trouble. I’ll keep trying, too, but I’m only getting weaker and the people I trust to help you aren’t exactly sleeping right now. But you need to give me something. Where are you? Are you still in Vermont? Or have you been moved? Who’s with you? How hard would it be to get to you?”

“I’m at my uncle’s house,” Mark told him quickly. “I’m hurt. When I’m awake, it hurts to breathe.” He had to think hard, but he could just slightly recall the sound of screeching tires and twisting metal. “There was a car accident.”

“Okay,” Siwon said breathing deeply. “Okay. Just hang on. I will get someone to you. Even if I have to invade the dreams of every sleeping council member or every single vampire in California, I will make things right here. I will. Please believe me.”

The world was spinning around them and the imagine of Mark’s mother was the weakest it had been. “You said my uncle hired the men who attacked the council and killed Grace and my parents. You said he’s the snake. How do you know this? You have to tell me.”

“He is a snake,” Siwon insisted, voice going thin. “But he’s nothing compared to the snake charmer who’s constantly at work. Mark, this is deeper, this …attempt to undo the decades of peace between humans and vampires, it’s deeper and more than just your uncle. Your uncle is just one part of something much bigger, and we should all be very scared and who the puppet master is--who the snake charmer is.”

Uncertain, Mark questioned, “My uncle being told to do these things? Why? How?”

Sadly, Siwon admitted, “Maybe it’s better if I do die. Kyuhyun would never stand me living on the same planet as him again. He’ll never look at me, love me, or want to breathe the same air as me, when he finds out.”

Mark demanded roughly, “Finds out what!”

Not even the kind smile of Mark’s mother softened Siwon’s words as he said, “Your uncle might have had access to information that indicated where the council would be meeting, but he only had it because of me. I gave it to him, Mark. Just like other people gave him other things. The truth is, my worse secret is, I got your parents and Grace killed. I got my father killed. I got Kyuhyun’s sister killed, and he will never forgive me for it. I, along with others, your uncle included, took orders from someone else, orchestrated this whole thing, and are wholly to blame. It was us. All of us. And we’re more than you think.”

Someone else.

The snake charmer.

“Mark,” Siwon stated, “please protect my sister from Her. Please. I’m begging you. She shouldn’t suffer because of my choices, and she will ally with you when she’s the head of our family. I already told her to. If I die, go to my sister. She’ll tell you the truth. She’ll tell you about Her.--” he cut off abruptly, and it felt absolutely final.

Her? Who was this Her?

This time, when Mark jerked awake, it was painful and he jarred something, but he woke remembering everything he’d spoken to Siwon about. That was the important part, even if it was unbearably painful and brought tears to his eyes.

Siwon and his uncle? They’d worked together to destroy so many families. And with others? How many others. And who was this person telling them to do things. Who was this Her? Mark had felt the emphasis on the distinction when Siwon had said it.

It made even less sense when Mark stopped to consider that his uncle didn’t take orders or direction well. He was a lone wolf of sorts, doing whatever he wanted and rarely working well with others. Not to mention Mark couldn’t begin to question what it was that made Siwon turn traitor. What could this person, this snake charmer, have said or done to make it happen with Siwon? To make Siwon betray Kyuhyun and hurt him? It seemed impossible.

Taking in deep, painful breaths, Mark picked up the sound of voices just outside his door.

He heard his uncle say, “Two more days, Victor. I just need you to keep him out for two more days and then we can act.”

“We’re really pushing it, Marcus,” the doctor’s voice chimed in. “Inducing a coma in an ailing patient is one thing, and relatively safe, but continuously sedating a patient who is in no need of that sedation is another thing. You are risking his life every time I do it. Not to mention, it won’t be long before someone comes looking for him. In fact, I expect it any second. What will you do then when you have vampires loyal to your nephew battering down your door? Don’t think they don’t exist, either, and in large number. There are likely more loyal to him now, than you, and he doesn’t have to pay for their loyalty. His comes with his title, and the friends he’s keeping.”

The door clicked open and Mark momentarily forgot how to breathe, slamming his eyes shut. They were … keeping him sedated? On purpose? Why? The doctor had said it was to help him recover, but now to hear the contrary … why would they be forcing him to sleep unnecessarily? Did they suspect he’d seen through their lies, or even knew a fraction of the truth?

“Is he awake?” his uncle asked when both men were in the room.

Mark felt cold, long fingers passing over his body and he did his best to keep his breathing even and his body slack.

“Still out,” the doctor concluded. “I’ve been upping his dosage each time. But we may need to get some additional equipment in here to monitor him if you want to keep at this. I don’t like how low his blood pressure is, and I want to monitor his oxygen levels. We’re vampires, Marcus, not actually dead.”

“Two days,” his uncle repeated. “I merely need to keep him this way for two more days until the arrival of the council’s representative. I know you understand the necessity for it, and the bigger picture at hand. Things will be different afterwards, and then I can make him disappear.”

Mark felt his heart catch, then miss a second beat. He wasn’t certain it was going to start up again. Had his uncle really just said that? His beloved uncle.

“If you want to keep him out for two more days, that’s not a problem, but when you do wake him up after that, he won’t be able to do much for a while. He’ll be weak as a kitten. His motor skills might be compromised, and he’ll have cognitive issues for at least the first day, maybe two.”

“Not a problem,” Mark’s uncle said. “I don’t need him to do anything but sign his name.” There was a pause of conversation in the room, then the man asked, “You have everything arranged for the things that come after?”

“Mm-hm,” the doctor hummed out. “I’ve already arranged for Prince Mark’s death certificate. Keiko, who has no ties to the council or elsewhere, has agreed to sign on as medical examiner to validate the certificate. Everything is in order. You play your part, and the rest of us will play ours.”

Mark’s soul felt like it was being ripped to shreds as he heard his uncle comment, “Good. We’ll only get one shot at this. And with any luck, no one will ever have to know what really happened.”

The doctor mumbled, “I hope you understand the risk all of us are taking for you, Marcus. If we weren’t indebted to each other at this time, and if we didn’t have such history…” The doctor gave a long sigh. “If She gets wind of this Marcus, you’re dead. Do you understand that? Deader than dead. And so is everyone who helped you.”

It was the oddest twinge to his uncle’s voice that Mark heard him say, “I have no other choice, Victor. This risk, my last play is worth it. Don’t think I don’t know how much you’re risking for me. And consider all debts paid.”

The doctor huffed out, “Alright. In any case I think he’ll sleep for the rest of the day. I’ll change his catheter before tonight, and give him another dose of the sedative after that. Now, where’s that brandy you promised me? I think we both deserve a strong drink before the proverbial shit hit’s the fan.”

His uncle sighed, “Follow me. I could use your opinion on a few more matters. Money can buy exit visas for the living, but transporting the dead out of the country is much more difficult. I have to figure it out before long.”

It was a miracle to Mark how he held himself together until he heard the door click closed, then he was choking out a sob, still unable to move, utterly heartbroken like he had never been before in his life.

His uncle.

The man who used to spoil him with affection, treated him like a king, and told him how much he loved him on a daily basis, was a monster. He was a monster and Kyuhyun had been right. He’d been right all along and Mark trembled at the thought, crying and feeling as if he was already dead. 

His uncle had done everything. He was a monster. And now Mark was at his mercy.

When Mark finally drifted again, the urge to sleep too strong to ignore, Siwon wasn’t there.

Siwon was gone completely, and there were no dreams at all.

For Mark there was only a black void and terrible, terrible thoughts of what was coming next.


	20. Twenty

It must have been days before Mark was up and aware again. It was impossible to judge the passage of time

Then he woke up for what truly felt like a final time, more rested and well than he’d felt since his accident. 

However, he woke up to the reality surrounding him, that his uncle was a murder, his family was dead because of the man, and if Mark didn’t do something soon, he would be too. Because Mark was beginning to see the big picture, and he understood that he was the last loose end. He was the last piece of string that needed to be pulled free, and there was no way his uncle would hesitate once the moment was right. That moment was coming quickly, as well.

Soon enough the door to the room was opening and Mark watched his uncle stroll in, wondering if this was the moment.

“Mark,” his uncle said, sitting at the chair by his bedside, face drawn tight.

Mark tested the waters with his body, anything to avoid looking at his uncle. The idea of being in the same room as the man made him sick. So, ignoring the man, Mark flexed his fingers under the blankets, and when he found it happened easier than he’d expected, he tried his wrist.

“Focus,” his uncle said, right around the time Mark was discovering he could move his toes and feet, too. Mark still wasn’t sure he could get off the bed, or even sit up, but he wasn’t fully paralyzed now, and that was something. “We need to speak. Have you regained your memory? About the car accident?”

Lie, Mark knew he had to lie. He had to lie to save his own life, and he had to be convincing about it. So he shook his head, even though the pieces of everything that had occurred were coming back to him slowly and surely. He remembered the car accident, he remembered the argument with his uncle before it. Admitting any of that would get him killed faster than his uncle likely had planned.

“I had hoped you would recover it,” his uncle said, but now it was so easy to see through the façade presented in front of Mark. It was so easy he almost felt ashamed for ignoring it in the first place. His uncle wasn’t upset he couldn’t remember, he was thrilled.

“Car accident?” Mark asked again, trying not to move at all on the bed. The last thing he needed was his uncle to know how much control he was regaining.

“The humans attacked you, remember” his uncle said, “they ran your car off the road. It flipped and you were injured. They were attempting to harm you before you could reach the safety of your school. This attempt was meant to be deadly, as have those in the past. They were nearly successful this time. You’re very lucky you have the blood of the first vampire in your veins, and you’re stronger than anyone gives you credit for. I’ve never been so thankful for such a thing.”

“Oh.” That was … odd of his uncle to say. The fact that they were descendant directly from the first vampire, something that only a few of the council families could claim, was usually his uncle’s pride and joy. But more interesting was how his uncle was somewhat complimenting him on his resilience. Why did it seem all the sudden that his uncle was glad he’d survived?

His uncle leaned forward in his seat. “Mark, you’ve been asleep for a very long time now. Almost a week.”

Mark forced himself to show no reaction. Of course he’d been out. His uncle and the other man, the doctor, had been forcibly sedating him every time he woke, promising it was for his own good. But it hadn’t been. It had only been so that they could keep him where he was, and under their complete control.

A thought seized him and he all but shouted, “The vote!”

Suddenly it made sense why his uncle was glad he was still alive. The man needed him. 

“Calm down,” his uncle said, and Mark watched him look towards the black bag that was in he cabinet next to Mark’s bed. The black bag that was slowly stealing Mark’s freedom and life away from him. “The council has been made aware of your accident, and of the fact that for your safety and health, you can’t be moved right now.”

The truth was, Mark believed that he was hurt. It was still painful to breathe. However he didn’t think for a second that he couldn’t be allowed to get up and travel to make the vote. Not with how important it was. No, his uncle just didn’t want to let him anywhere near others, where Mark could have the chance to ask for help.

“A representative is coming,” his uncle said.

Mark did his best to blink slowly, act as if he were still numbed, and buy himself time. “For what?”

Tersely, his uncle said, “For the vote. The council’s clerk. He is trusted by all members of the council, likely the eldest living vampire in existence, and honor bound to deliver your decision to the council in your stead. He’ll speak to you for a minute, you will give your vote to him, and he’ll take it back to the council. You never have to leave this room.”

Mark had a feeling if his uncle got his way, Mark would only be leaving his room in a body bag. After all, he had a death certificate already prepared, apparently. “When?”

“Soon. Which is why we have precious little time to discuss the vote you will be giving.”

Lie. He had to lie again. He had to lie to avoid being killed immediately. 

“I … I thought I knew how I was going to vote before,” Mark said, hoping he sounded convincing. “But now … after being attacked again …”

“I know, I know,” his uncle said, reaching forward to sooth his fingers through Mark’s hair. This touch sent shivers through Mark and made him want to get sick. It was so fake and so disgusting. “Especially in light of recent casualties.”

Mark startled. “What?”

Concern that was so believable Mark almost forgot his uncle’s treachery, crossed the older man’s face as he said, “Your match was in the car with you, Mark. Zhou Mi was traveling back to school at your side. My men were able to save you just in the nick of time, but the humans claimed the life of your match, just as they did your family. You should take solace in the knowledge that he fought bravely, defending you until the end. He did not go without an honorable fight.”

No. Mark couldn’t believe it. There was … absolutely no way Zhou Mi was gone.

“No,” Mark said, unable to keep the anguish from his face.

“Yes, my dear boy. I’m so sorry.”

Zhou Mi couldn’t be dead. He was so incredibly strong. He was strong and smart and he was a pureblood, which put him leaps and bounds ahead of any of the vampires or humans that his uncle probably had hired to attempt to kill him. Zhou Mi wouldn’t be taken down so easily. Not Zhou Mi.

Zhou Mi had promised to always be with him, to always be beside him. No matter what kind of relationship they ended up having, they would have one. Zhou Mi had said and Mark had believed.

His uncle continued, “It hurts me deeply to see you have everything take away from you, Mark. But maybe now you truly understand the threat that the humans are. Voting to end the treaty is the only sensible thing.”

Mark wanted to lunge up out of the bed and strangle the life out of his uncle. He wanted to rip his throat out with his teeth. The beast was brewing inside Mark like it never had before, and Mark had half a mind to let it go crazy.

His uncle reached for his hand and Mark kept his fingers perfectly slack. “I say this to you, Mark, knowing you have only a few people left in your life that you care for. If you vote against that I’m urging you to, something terribly Might happen to Henry. Or to that boy of yours, Jackson Wang.”

Without the admiration and uncompromising loyalty that Mark had previously felt for his uncle, he was able to much more easily interpret what the man was saying. And without doubt Mark understood that his uncle was promising him if Mark failed to vote the way his uncle wanted, Henry might be a target, and Jackson certainly would be. Mark knew that his uncle would kill Jackson in an instant just to hurt him. Just to get at him for an imagined slight. And Henry might be a victim as well, considering as of late Henry had been breaking away from his father.

Mark couldn’t let anything happen to either of them. Henry and Jackson were really the only people Mark had left, especially if the impossible was true about Zhou Mi.

“I trust you’ll make the right decision?” his uncle asked.

“I …”

“Mark.” His uncle’s face looked strained all of the sudden, almost pained. “I would like you to know that I, like you, am intimately familiar with making decisions that seem impossible. I have spent, as of late, my life being dictated by actions I don’t wish to make, but must make all the same. This is the penance of our family, and now you have to pay it. If I could spare you, I would, but there is no escaping the choices that must be made to save those we love.”

Mark frowned at the words. He felt like he was missing anything.

“You are making this decision,” his uncle insisted, “to protect those that need such protection. Is that absolutely clear? You personal feelings have no place in this matters. This is about the greater good, and about fulfilling debts.”

Burdened by confusion, Mark had to close his eyes, feeling dizzy again.

“Think,” his uncle mentioned as if it were a casual topic of conversation, “of Amber in her delicate state. It would be devastating if anything happened to her at the moment, or to the father of her child. You wouldn’t want to be responsible for anything happening to your favorite cousin, correct? That would place an unimaginable amount of strain on her, at such a trying point in her pregnancy.”

Mark tensed. How had he found out? How had he possibly found out?

“I’ll make the right choice,” Mark rushed to say. If anything happened to her, anything at all, or if something happened to the baby, and Mark could have prevented it, he would never forgive himself. And Henry … Henry would likely never be the same again. Henry loved Amber just as much as Mark’s parents had loved each other. It was a timeless, unflinching love, and Mark had to protect it.

“Good boy,” his uncle said. 

Mark believed with every bit of his heart that his uncle would hurt Amber and the baby to force Mark’s hand. He believed it. This was, after all, the man who’d taken out nearly his entire family’s line of succession for whatever plan he’d concocted. 

“I’ll go see if our esteemed guest is here, then,” his uncle said, standing with a flourish. “You just lay here and rest.”

Mark was going to kill him. 

He’d never been so certain of anything in his life, but Mark knew, he was going to kill his uncle.

The representative for the council, who apparently was the oldest living vampire in existence, certainly looked the part. He swept into Mark’s room slowly, but with deliberate footsteps, face wrinkled from time, hands folded together in front of him. Mark was only thankful he hadn’t brought his apprentice, Lu Han.

Mark liked the old vampire immediately, more than amused when the man turned to Mark’s uncle who was attempting to enter the room as well, and said, “Your previous, inexcusable actions have left you barred from the council’s vote casting. You will wait for our business to be concluded outside.”

Mark’s uncle made a distinctly insulted face, but eventually turned to leave, closing the soundproof door behind him.

“I’m ready to cast my vote,” Mark said, head bowed in defeat, when the representative questioned him.

“You understand the implications of casting your vote for either choice?”

By now Mark could move his arms, his legs, his head and most of his torso. He was almost free from the affects of the medicine that had been pumped into him for almost a week.

“I understand,” Mark said. He knew what he had to do, even if there were sacrifices that had to be made. Even if he hated himself for it afterwards.

Slowly, the old vampire nodded. “Then cast your vote, and know with confidence I will carry it back to the council.”

Mark choked it out, never more ashamed in his actions for those he’d just condemned. 

It wasn’t his uncle that returned to see him, but rather the doctor, reaching for his ever faithful black bag.

“Tired?” the doctor asked with fake cheeriness. He reached for an amber liquid this time, the bottle resting next to the clear liquid that Mark always received to put him out. They were going to give him something different this time. Something was changing. 

Mark gave him his best, withered look. “When will I be able to move again?”

The doctor’s hand paused, and he questioned, “Your paralysis is still in effect?”

Mark gave a huge, forced yawn. “Yeah. But I’m still so tired.”

“Interesting,” the doctor said. “We thought you’d be recovering more quickly. Perhaps you’re regressing due to a complication I haven’t been able to deduce. We’ll have to watch you carefully.”

To Mark’s confusion, but utter relief, he closed his eyes, faking sleep and he was believed. There was nothing added to his IV, no additional medicine that would end up being the cause of his death as it paralyzed him to whatever came next.

He heard the doctor mumble, “Sleep well, Prince Mark. With what time remains, sleep easy.”

Mark was going to kill the doctor, too.

With the protective blinds pulled tight in his room it was impossible for Mark to tell what time of day or night it was the next time he was awake. He only knew that he felt stronger than ever, he remembered in better detail climbing into the car with Zhou Mi.

Zhou Mi. Who they said was dead. Who Mark couldn’t believe was dead. He refused to accept that possibility.

Movement in the room caught Mark’s eye and he fought against his instincts to roll towards the threat. He reminded himself he was supposed to be paralyzed. He couldn’t give anything way before he was ready.

Doctor Piper, one of his uncle’s cohorts, was moving steadily towards him, a single syringe in hand and a final look on his face.

This was it.

“I just woke up,” Mark complained, trying to sound as petulant and whiny as possible. “And I’m feeling much better.” He balled his fingers into a fist under his blankets and prepared himself.

“You’re recovering nicely,” the doctor observed, flicking the syringe he’d just filled. “Maybe we misjudged your progress.”

Mark asked carefully, “What’s that?” His eyes jerked to the syringe. Whatever was in it was likely meant to kill him. If it got in him, it would. 

The doctor replied, “This a little something extra to your sedative. This is something to help the healing process along. You’ll feel much better after. You’ll go to sleep for a long while but everything will be fine afterwards.” He paused to give Mark an odd look. “Have faith.”

Mark took in a deep breath. It still hurt to draw in oxygen, but it was less so than it had been before.

“Where’s my uncle?”

“He’s gone out on business,” the doctor said, reaching for Mark’s IV. “I’m afraid he wont’ be back for a while. You understand, right? He’s a very busy man.”

With all the of the strength he had, absolutely everything in reserve, and all the sheer determination Mark had ever felt, he sprung forward.

Siwon had said he was bringing help. Mark hadn’t heard from him in forever, but Siwon had also said that Mark had to do something to save himself, too. And this was the moment, with his uncle out of the house and the most mobility he was ever going to have. He had to act now, or never, and he was only going to get one shot at it.

Maybe he just got lucky. Mark didn’t have time to stop and consider it. He only knew one second he was on the bed, and in the next he was landing a frighteningly accurate punch to the doctor’s jaw.

They both toppled backwards, Mark dragging half his bedding with him, and then they tumbled over each other for a good distance, Mark punching again, kicking and scratching. He let loose all his stored energy, fighting for his life, trying to recall all of self defense and martial arts classes he’d taken.

And for just one second, one precious second, he thought he had the upper hand. 

The swift, potent kick that landed to his ribs took the breath out of Mark. It made him see stars, feel the sudden urge to vomit, and lose his senses completely.

He felt heavy hands wrap around him in a crushing bear hug that soon tossed him to the ground. And then an even heavier weight was on his chest, causing him excruciating pain as it bore down with what felt like a ton or two of force. His wrists were pinned to the floor of the bedroom by the huffing doctor.

“Prince Mark,” the doctor huffed out, bracing himself forward and exhibiting even more strength as he squeezed Mark’s wrists more harshly against the floor. “You don’t understand. Please. You don’t understand.” There was fear and worry on the doctor’s face as he fought to keep control of the situation. “You must listen to me.”

Mark kicked out. He flailed and struggled, but the doctor was too heavy on his chest, and his already spotty vision was starting to darken around the edges as he struggled to suck in air. He couldn’t get himself together. He couldn’t reach his beast, he couldn’t fight back at all.

It seemed hopeless, and he could scarcely believe that this was how it ended. With his murder. There’d be no justice for his family. There’d be no punishment or vindication. There’d only be death.

“I’m not trying to hurt you!” the doctor barked out, and as if it was a show of good faith, he let go of Mark’s wrists. He sat back, alleviating some of the pressure, and looked terrified of what he’d done. “But you’re going to ruin everything! Do you have any idea what we’ve all risked for you, and you’re going to ruin it! Prince Mark, your uncle is risking his life--his everything--by trying to sa--”

“Traitor!” 

Mark was at the end of his tolerance, feeling himself already starting to slacken, when one of his hands hit something. He was starting to think slower, think less, but after some time he realized he was gripping the syringe that the doctor had been handling only minutes earlier.

It was his salvation.

Mark gave one last, desperate heave with everything left in him, bucked the doctor up enough that he could lunge forward, and he slammed the syringe into the neck of the man attacking him, pushing the plunger down.

The doctor slammed himself to the side with a shout of surprise and pain and Mark dragged in sweet, precious air, chocking and gagging and hardly believing that it had worked.

By the time he looked back to the doctor the man was three feet away, curled onto his side and not moving. His eyes were closed, mouth slack and to Mark he looked utterly dead.

Mark heaved himself up to his hands and knees and coughed out, “I am not weak. I am not that easy to kill.” He felt like crying with the words, like they were something he had to prove to not only himself but the whole world. 

“Focus,” he told himself, coughing again, needing to lean heavily on the wall just to stay on his feet. He wasn’t paralyzed anymore, but he’d spent a week lying in bed, letting his muscles atrophy. His legs felt like jelly and his feet like cinderblocks. 

But he had to keep moving. He had things to do.

It took an embarrassing five minutes just to catch his breath enough to leave his room, and even when he was free, inching his way along, he was making excruciatingly slow progress. Eventually it was easier simply to crawl, dragging himself along when his ribs burned and protested so much that he could hardly get the air in fast enough.

Mark almost thought he imagined the huge boom that rocketed through the house, shaking down to the foundation. It sounded like a mortar going off, like a bomb, and Mark felt the rattle through to his bones. 

He pulled himself down the hallway that attached to his room and to the nearby railing. He could see his uncle’s men darting down below, shouting into the radios they wore, obviously listening to something chattering in their ear pieces. Until now they’d absolutely kept their distance, lurking away from the property, much like the men who’d guarded his family before the fire had. This was the first real look Mark was getting at most of them.

They were likely halfbloods or even less, bribed by money, and Mark could almost see for certain with how they moved slower than a pureblood vampire. But they’d still be formidable opponents. Any of them. And Mark was sure they had orders not let him leave the property. 

He’d have to kill them too.

It felt so easy now, and the worst part, Mark considered, was that he felt no shame. He felt nothing at the idea of taking their lives to save his own.

A second boom rocked the house and Mark was too close to the stairs. Most of the men down below were gone now, but as he toppled down the steep staircase, trying to stop his decent with his hands, more than one remaining noticed him.

They trained their guns on him instinctively and Mark tensed, trying desperately to find a way out of the situation as he lay dazed at the bottom of the first landing, aching from the fall.

His head was still swimming. He couldn’t get enough air and he wasn’t even sure he could get to his feet again. He was spent, utterly spent, and the three men in front of him were advancing on him.

“That the kid?” the one on the far right asked, eyes raking over Mark. “I thought the doctor was supposed to be bringing him out?”

They were discussing their orders quickly but Mark could hardly pay attention to them, taking note of the nearby hallway that was probably close enough to make a run for … if he could just get up. If his legs would work. If he could breathe enough for the run.

He couldn’t get up. His legs wouldn’t support him.

He felt like a failure.

“Take him into custody,” another of the men ordered. “And make it quick. There are several confirmed intruders and we--”

Mark flinched back as a hurricane blasted its way through the room in a haze of red mist. Something hard slammed over him not for the first time that hour, but here was something distinctly different this time. His head was cradled protectively as he fell flat on his back and the form crouching over him was careful to put absolutely no pressure on him. Mark was infinitely thankfully.

“You realize,” Jackson said from above him, “that I’m going to make at least half a dozen damsel in distress jokes a day after this. By the way, your uncle is an asshole, I take back all the time times I implied Zhou Mi was, and hey, you look kind of horrible. Still hot, but kind of horrible, too.”

Mark opened his eyes fully to the beautiful sight of Jackson shielding him.

Mark knew he’d caught him completely off guard when he leaned up suddenly to kiss Jackson. The younger boy’s lips were slack against his, but it was enough for Mark who’d thought he’d never see his boyfriend again. Or anyone else, for that matter.

A voice cleared from behind them and Mark’s eyes widened.

Bloody and just the slightest bit disheveled, Zhou Mi stood, three bodies other in various parts scattered around him.

“Holy shit,” Jackson remarked with unbridled respect. “Dude, did you do that with your hands? Wicked.”

Mark had only just stretched his arms out for Zhou Mi when he was being swept into a hug. He ignored his ribs and even Jackson, crying out, “I thought you were dead. They told me you were dead.”

Zhou Mi held him tightly for a minute before drawing back and promising, “I would have come for you sooner if I had been able to. I’m sorry.”

Jackson put a hand on Mark’s back and said, “We totally would have stormed this place days ago and rescued you, but your uncle isn’t someone we thought we could tangle with, not until he took most of his men earlier tonight.”

Mark looked between the two of them, almost feeling like he was in a dream. “What are you two doing here? How did you know to come?”

Jackson said, “I thought we just established we’re rescuing you.”

“Together?”

The last word was directed squarely at Zhou Mi who inclined his head and told Mark, “You are more important than anything else.” He added just after that, “Siwon managed to contact us several days ago. He confirmed for us the information we needed to come for you.” 

Mark could have wept with relief. “Siwon. Is he okay?”

A dark look crossed Zhou Mi’s face. “He was injured very badly. It pains me to tell you I believe he is gone.” Mark sucked in air sharply through his teeth as Zhou Mi promised, “I will tell you everything I know as soon as we have the time. But we need to move now. We need to move quickly. There may be more resistance before we’re through.”

When another explosion sounded somewhere outside, Mark and he questioned, “Did you just blow up my uncle’s house?”

“That,” a loud voice announced, “would be us. And yes we did.”

Mark barked out a laugh at the sight of Minho and Changmin making their way into the foyer, several boys with them. They all looked terribly menacing, but also a bit like angels. Maybe avenging angels. 

“You two blew up my uncle’s house?”

Changmin gave a shrug. “Kyuhyun said we could do whatever was necessary to get you back.” He nodded to Jackson and said, “And apparently bringing this one with us fell into that category, along with the others. Kyuhyun said you might need the support.”

“Certain, was he, of your success,” Mark commented.

Minho shrugged, “He always is. It’s his gift.”

Huh? Mark wondered about that one.

Minho must have seen it on his face, because he smiled a toothy grin and said, “Don’t worry about it, kid. Just know that Kyuhyun trusted the people who came with us to get you.”

One of the boys behind Changmin flashed Mark a victor sign and called out, “We haven’t been properly introduced yet. I’m Dongwoo. Hoya and I couldn’t miss out on this, but seriously, sorry about blowing up some of your house. It’s a really nice house … well, it was …”

This was Dongwoo? And that meant the other, scary looking boy was Hoya?

Hoya in question inclined his head towards Mark. “I hope things won’t be this exciting in the future. Dongwoo gets too excited when there are explosives involved.”

“I thought this was an apt time for them to prove their skills,” Zhou Mi said quickly, tracing his fingers along Mark’s arm as if he was starved for the touch. “This is what they’ve been employed to do. Though I admit, I didn’t suspect their first attempt at protecting you would be against your uncle.”

Mark gave as shudder and asked, “Where is Kyuhyun? Is he here?”

“No,” Minho offered up, head cocking as he listened for anyone else who might plan on crashing their reunion. “He’s with the council. They’re casing their votes very soon. And he thought it might look suspicious if he wasn’t there.”

Tipping further against Jackson who held him in a precious way, Mark moaned out, “Kyuhyun was right the whole time. My uncle was going to kill me. He tried. I just … I can’t believe it. It hurts so badly to know that Kyuhyun was right and I ignored him because it wasn’t something I could believe.”

“Hey,” Hoya called out, body tensing up. “We need to move soon. We’re too exposed here, and Prince Mark looks like he needs medical attention.”

“Where is my uncle?” Mark demanded. “Where is that traitor?”

Zhou Mi said flatly, “Your uncle left the property several hours ago. Do you know where he’s going?”

The vote it had to be.

“We have to go,” Mark said, gesturing for Jackson to help him up. “We have to go after him! He’s headed directly to where the council is voting.”

“I wasn’t kidding when I said you looked kind of horrible,” Jackson said gently. “You need to rest. You need to get checked out, too.”

Mark gave him a thunderous look. “I just spent a week being forcibly sedated before a doctor attempted to kill me. I’ll rest when I’m dead. But right now we have to go after that murderer, before the vote happens.”

“Why?” Zhou Mi asked apprehensively.

“I don’t like the sound of where this is going,” Dongwoo interjected, standing shoulder to shoulder with Hoya.

“Because I already voted,” Mark said desperately. “My uncle had the council clerk come to me so I could vote from here. And I think it’s safe to say that with my vote being the tipping decision, the shit is about to hit the fan.”

Minho gave a curious look and asked, “Your uncle is the guy who killed your sister? Kyuhyun’s match? The girl he was head over heels in love with and planned to marry?”

Mark nodded. “He did. He killed my family and I can’t let him get away with it.”

“And,” Changmin cut in, “if we catch up to him we can kill him?’

Jackson, acting like Mark’s legs, helped him up. He wasn’t very steady, but he was standing, and that was something.

“No,” Mark told him, making his words an absolute vow, “when we catch up to him I’m going to kill him. I’m going to personally rip his throat out and watch him drown in his own blood.”

Jackson frowned. “That shouldn’t be as hot as it is, right?”

Zhou Mi gave an honest shrug, “Debatable. You are a vampire, even if your blood is diluted.”

Jackson rolled his eyes at something that was probably meant to be a detriment. 

It was Changmin who decided on the spot, “That’s good enough for me. Say, Prince Mark, your uncle seems like a big enough douche to have a garage full of cars he never drives. What do you say we steal a couple and get to the airport?”

“I say,” Mark told them all, “that I’m the head of the fourth family, no matter what my uncle thinks he can get away with, and those cars in the garage outside to your left, are mine. You’re welcome to any of them, as long as we get moving now.”

Changmin and Minho gave synchronized nods and headed out with Hoya and Dongwoo falling in behind to secure the area like they’d been doing it for years.

Mark caught Zhou Mi’s sleeve before they could follow and said, “Zhou Mi, we have to find Henry fast. My uncle knows about Amber. He made threats. He’ll hurt her and you know who, if we don’t do something.”

Zhou Mi helped Jackson guide him down the last couple of steps and said, “I believe in this situation, I’m already ahead of you. They are safe, I promise you. All three of them.”

Mark exhaled loudly in relief. 

“Let’s go get that uncle of yours,” Jackson said, supporting Mark giving him a reassuring smile of utter brilliance. 

Mark finished, “And end this once and for all.”


	21. Twenty-One

Several thousand feet in the air Mark gave the private jet he was riding in one more long look over, from the perfectly crafted leather seats to the plush carpet, and absolute luxury surrounding him. It was his plane. That was what Zhou Mi said, one of several now under his name as head of his family. And it was only the tip of the ice burg. All of the homes that were currently under the care of relatives, were now legally his. He now owned properties and businesses and a million things that he hadn’t had a clue about. It was all overwhelming, and he hadn’t really had the time necessary to process it all.

“This,” Zhou Mi said quietly, seated across from him, “is why heirs are primed from birth to be ready by the time they’re introduced. And no doubt it’s part of the reason your uncle tried to keep you under his thumb for as long as possible. You being off balance benefited him greatly.’

“I don’t care about any of this,” Mark said dejectedly, staring out the window. They were above the clouds and there was nothing but pitch blackness to see. It would be another two hours before they were touching down in San Francisco, and racing to intercept the vote. Two more hours in addition to the five that Mark had already endured with endless anxiety. 

Next to him, Jackson was slumped a little in sleep, breathing evenly and looking like he needed every bit of it. Mark still couldn’t believe he was there, playing the role of knight in shinning armor, charging right into the lion’s den just for Mark.

“I must admit,” Zhou Mi said, his eyes on Jackson. “I have never had much respect for him. I was, as you’ve suspected, jealous of how easy he was by your side. But I am impressed by his willingness to abandon everything at the mere mention of you being in danger. No doubt he’s evoked the ire of his parents and school faculty.”

“How did he get here?” Mark asked, tugging the blanket that was draped haphazardly across Jackson’s legs, a little more firmly up his body. “How did any of you get here?”

Mark glanced about the rest of the plane. Changmin and Minho were further towards the back, clustered together with both Hoya and Dongwoo, but also more vampires that Mark hadn’t seen before. The plane was almost at maximum capacity, and all for him. They’d all come, and put themselves in danger to rescue him, and Mark was absolutely humbled.

The others weren’t paying anyone else the least bit of attention, talking in low voices, probably dragging together some kind of plan for when they landed. Mark could see Hoya glance at him every couple of minutes, as if checking to make sure he hadn’t magically disappeared from the airtight plane.

Zhuo Mi chuckled, “You will get used to it, I promise.”

“Huh?”

“The babysitter feeling Hoya will give off for the next hundred years or so, or at least until he fully trusts you to follow him instinctively for your health and safety.” Zhou Mi looked reassuring as he added. “Hoya was trained for this position by his father. He won’t be a burden to you. He’ll know how to stay out of your way, mostly stay out of sight, and not act heavy handed unless absolutely necessary. But he will always be here from now on. He’ll give his formal oath to you soon.”

Mark snuck a quick glance to Hoya one more time, noticing the way the vampire’s fingers were curled subtly around Dongwoo’s wrist. Dongwoo was turned towards Hoya, focused on him, and the level of intimacy between them while still maintaining professionalism was remarkable.

“I want a doctor to examine you soon,” Zhou Mi cut in. “You don’t seem well, aside from the trauma you’ve recently endured.”

“Will you tell me now?” Mark asked instead of responding to the statement. “About the accident and everything that came after? I remember some of it--getting into the car with you at least. But nothing after. I’m still trying to put the pieces of what happened together. Siwon helped, correct?”

Zhou Mi gave him a somber nod. “We were rear ended and forced from the road. The car flipped and I was thrown clear from it. I admit, I was dazed and unsteady. I tried to make my way to you as soon as I was able, you were still in the car with the driver who died I suspect during the flip. But I encountered resistance.”

“My uncle’s men?”

“Several of them,” Zhou Mi confirmed. “I had no choice but to retreat. Forgive me, but if I had stayed, I would have died. And I knew your uncle would have no choice but to keep you alive for the time being. He still needed you to vote, and there was no compromise to that. So I left you there, I’m ashamed to say, and retreated back as far as I dared.”

Mark insisted, “You did the right thing.”

Zhou Mi offered nothing on the comment, and instead said, “I was contacted via Prince Kyuhyun by a young vampire several days after the accident. A girl from Hawthorne that you’ve had contact before--a friend. She said her name was Min, and that she’d been having the oddest dreams.”

“Min,” Mark choked out in a startled way. Jackson stirred next to him a little, but didn’t wake. “Siwon got through to Min.”

Zhou Mi nodded. “I suppose he found her prevalent in your happiest dreams and believed she could be trusted to get word to me. You understand how Prince Siwon’s ability worked, correct?”

Mark hadn’t missed the tense Zhou Mi had used, but he nodded anyway. “He can only get into the dreams of people who are actually dreaming, and there are other stipulations, too.”

Zhou Mi continued, “She brought with her all the information necessary we needed to assemble a group to come for you. She passed along Prince Siwon’s last words, all in a desperate bid to save you.”

Min. To Mark, she was one of his most loyal and wonderful friends, even if they didn’t get to spend nearly the amount of time together that he would have liked. She was always smiling and happy and supportive. She made him feel like the weight on his shoulders was a little less heavy, and now she was part of the reason he was still alive.

But Siwon …

“You said you think he’s dead?”

“He must be,” Zhou Mi said with a bowed head. “He stopped contacting your friend days ago, and his sister is expected to attend the council vote in his stead. There has not been a formal announcement of any kind, but those of us who have been knowledgeable to what has been happening, know his health was failing him. He was not expected to survive, from what I’ve heard. He was in a coma.”

“Because of my uncle,” Mark ground out. “That’s what Siwon said. That he thought he was dying because he was going to tell.”

“Tell?” Zhou Mi asked in a curious way. “Tell what?”

Voice going thin, Mark asked, “You don’t know?”

Zhou Mi shook his head.

This wasn’t the time or the place, Mark didn’t think, to attempt to explain that Siwon was just as much a traitor as Mark’s uncle. It was true that Siwon had shown remorse in the end, and attempted to right his wrong, but it didn’t negate what he had done. Siwon had been part of something terrible, something that he had contributed to directly. Siwon had given Mark’s uncle the location of the council meeting. Without it, the attack never would have happened, and so many people would still be alive. Maybe the fire still would have been set. Maybe Tammy and Joey would have still died. But Mark’s parents and Grace would still be alive. Siwon’s father would be alive. Kyuhyun’s sister would be, too.

When Mark told the others what Siwon had been a part of, there’d be no going back. His name would forever be tarnished. And Kyuhyun … Mark couldn’t believe to think what this would do to him. But it was going to be devastating. Kyuhyun likely wouldn’t be the same, because he loved Siwon, considered him family, and Siwon had killed his sister.

But for what? That was still the biggest question. Mark wanted to know who this puppet master was, and who could possibly be pulling the strings to manipulate and force the hands of so many vampires who naturally were not inclined to follow others. Like Mark’s uncle. He was not a follower. There had to be a lot more to the picture than Mark could see. But what about Siwon? What could possibly been said to Siwon to encourage him to go against Kyuhyun? 

Mark wondered if he’d ever know. Or maybe Siwon’s reasons would stay gone with him. It was possible that was the best alternative.

“I promise,” Mark said, and really meant it, “I’ll tell you everything. But now isn’t the time.” He gave a look around the plane once more, eyes roaming over familiar faces, and then those not so. “Kyuhyun is going to meet us in San Francisco?”

“He will,” Zhou mi confirmed. “He might have had the chance to join us here, that’s true, but we decided it would be better if he went ahead to secure our presence there. It’s impossible to determine how far the web of deceit in this matter goes, so we must have an ally there for the vote that we know is trustworthy.”

Feeling a chill himself, Mark drew up his own blanket, tucked his feet up on the seat and asked, “Kyuhyun sent Changmin and Minho to you as backup?” 

Zhou Mi admired, “You’ve truly endeared yourself to him, Mark. They’re his most trusted companions, and they’re tasked with protecting his life. No doubt if Prince Siwon is gone, and your uncle had both a hand in that and trying to snuff out your own life, then Prince Kyuhyun is in danger as well. Any other pureblood would keep Changmin and Minho close to him, but Prince Kyuhyun elected to send them to protect you instead. It means he values you very much.”

“I trust Kyuhyun like I trust you,” Mark said simply to him. “I can count on one hand the amount of people I trust like that.”

Zhou Mi gave him an approving nod, then said, “When Prince Kyuhyun and I realized that your life was hanging in the balance, he sent his companions, and I called for Dongwoo and Hoya.”

“But what about Jackson?” Mark pressed. “How did he get mixed up in all of this?” The idea that Jackson had come to be part of the group that saved him was thrilling. It made his chest swell with appreciation and something a lot more romantic. But there was also a nagging apprehension in Mark that said things were far too dangerous for Jackson to be present. And if anything happened to Jackson because of Mark… well, he’d felt that guilt before, and it had almost crushed him. “It’s so dangerous for him to be here.”

Zhou Mi wasted no time in saying, “He knew something was wrong. He says you failed to contact him, and he could feel it in him that you were in danger. When Prince Kyuhyun heard I was calling for Dongwoo and Hoya, he sent Jackson with them. He’s a halfblood, and untrained in any type of combat, but even I’m forced to admit there’s something undeniable about a person who is willing to risk everything for another. As long as he didn’t get in the way, I saw him as a potential asset.”

“If anything, he’s another set of eyes to watch our backs.”

Zhou Mi made a soft sound and said even more quietly, “I’m all you need to watch your back.”

Mark huffed a little. “I don’t doubt you, Zhou Mi. Come on, you know that. But Jackson is one of those people I trust unconditionally, so I think you should too. How much you trust him shouldn’t have anything to do with how you feel about him. And we can always, always use more people we trust watching our backs.”

Zhou Mi was silent, and Mark hoped he’d given him something to truly think about. 

Mark sunk a little into the plush seat he was relaxing against, feeling the rumble of the engine through his feet. He was still hurt, and still so exhausted, and moments away from falling into a light sleep himself when he heard Zhou Mi mumble another apology about his tardiness. As if Mark were going to blame him for not taking on a hundred of his uncle’s men.

Wearily, Mark told him, “I don’t know why you think you have to apologize for not making a suicide run. I already told you, I was perfectly fine. My uncle was keeping me sedated, but he wasn’t hurting me. You knew I had time until the vote, and then after I rendered mine, you made your move. It all worked out. The timing was fine.”

And Mark absolutely wasn’t going to tell Zhou Mi how close he’d come to death. The vampire didn’t need that kind of guilt on his conscience. The timing had been fine … technically … because Mark hadn’t fully waited around to be rescued. He’d fought, and he’d won, and that was all that mattered.

“Kyuhyun suspected something was wrong,” Zhou Mi relayed, “when I told him that I’d been watching the house for several days and I’d yet to see you. We were ready to move on the house regardless of the numbers we’d face just before your uncle left abruptly.”

Mark heard one of the unknown men in the plane laugh and he leaned forward, his voice at a whisper to say, “I recognize Minho and Changmin, and obviously Dongwoo and Hoya who just introduced themselves, but who are the others?” The other four men in the plane were a complete mystery, though all of them certainly were older than Mark.

Zhou Mi cracked a half smile. “The one directly across from Changmin and Minho is Jonghyun. The three of them affectionately refer to themselves as the Kyuline. It’s a joke due to the fact that those three and Prince Kyuhyun have been friends since they were toddlers. They’re all roughly the same age and you’ll hardy find four people more loyal to each other.”

“And the others?”

Zhou Mi named off, “The other three are Yunho, Leeteuk and Heechul. They attended Hawthorne Academy a few years ago and their loyalty is most decidedly for Prince Kyuhyun. They’re all from council families, but so far from their individual lines of succession that they make me look more eligible for mine. However, their family standings have nothing to do with how they’ve pledged themselves to Prince Kyuhyun. He has them on his side, and they make him stronger.”

Idly, Mark noted, “Kyuhyun seems to be very good at inspiring loyalty. People seem to give it to him so easily, and mean it when they do. At least he makes it look easy, and we both know earning loyalty from a vampire of his or her own free will, is tricky and costly and very, very hard to do.” It was why, Mark suspected, his uncle bought his men, rather than earning them.

Zhou Mi agreed, “Prince Kyuhyun is most certainly the type that inspires loyalty in those around him. But their loyalty to Prince Kyuhyun is beneficial to us. It means their loyalty is for you as well, Mark. You and Prince Kyuhyun will always be tied together now by your actions these days. You’ll always be expected to uphold a strong bond between your two families, and your loyalty can never waver.”

Mark questioned, “But Grace and Kyuhyun never got to marry. Our families aren’t officially tied together, unfortunately.”

“That’s inconsequential,” Zhou Mi said. “Prince Kyuhyun has made a bold statement in taking you under his wing and offering you all he has.” Zhou Mi made an odd face, then said, “Honestly, if your mother had survived this terrible series of events as head of your family, and we hadn’t been matched, Kyuhyun might have made a play for you. In fact I’m certain of it. He would have proposed a match to the head of your family--your mother and sought to bring your two families together in the end after all. It’s unconventional, but you’re both too alike for him to deny, and next to Grace, you are the closest he will ever find.”

“That’s really kind of creepy,” Mark said with a sigh. He really liked Kyuhyun, trusted him with his life and considered him a dear friend, but he certainly didn’t want to be married to him. And not as a sore replacement for Grace.

“It’s not that uncommon, Mark.” Zhou Mi chuckled out. “Siblings replace each other in matches frequently enough. Though if that were the case, it might stir up some controversy. As a rule, heir are not matched to each other, in order to attempt to keep any sort of influence from manifesting in the council. You know this. But an acceptation might be made if your mother were still alive, and if you denounced your hold on Grace’s pervious title. Something tells me you would, if given the option at all.”

That was more of a truth than Mark had heard in a very long time. He had never wanted to be heir. He’d never wanted to be the head of his family. And he detested the things that came with it all. If he had the opportunity to pass on the title, or if any of his direct family were still alive, Mark would have in a second. 

But it was pointless thinking about the possibilities of what could have been. Pointless and depressing.

Mark felt Jackson shift towards him as the plane banked a little. He truly wanted to let Jackson try and sleep as long as possible. He deserved all the rest in the world. Especially if they were flying towards a fight of some kind. Mark didn’t know for certain what would happen when they arrived, but Mark very much doubted it would go over well when they crashed the vote and exposed his uncle.

“Do you know how my uncle found out about Amber?”

Zhou Mi shook his head. “No. But something you should learn now, and with all seriousness, is that there are eyes everywhere. Ears, too. And my family’s financial situation is not as unusual as you might suspect. While your family has flourished through wise business ventures and investments, many pureblood families have made poor choices and indulged too much. A great deal more vampires than you would suspect are susceptible to bribery.”

“Integrity and honor are the key tenants of pureblood vampires. It’s what they’re supposed to pride themselves on. So how can so many of them turn to spying for money?”

Zhou Mi arched an eyebrow and asked, “Haven’t I mentioned before that you’re an exception to the rule, rather than the standard?”

Mark only shrugged.

“Few purebloods,” Zhou Mi said, “practice what they preach. This is something you should never forget. Friends like Prince Kyuhyun are priceless, and very rare.”

“Henry?” Mark prompted. “He’s safe? He’s okay?”

Zhou Mi replied, “I contacted him as soon as I had finished speaking with Prince Kyuhyun the first time. I warned him that his position had likely been compromised, though I didn’t know at the time that your uncle had learned about Amber’s condition. He’s assured me since then that they are both safe. He heard about you being in danger, he wanted to come for you, but I asked him to stay away.”

“To stay away?” Mark asked faintly.

“To protect Amber,” Zhou Mi replied. “She’s a formidable vampire in her own right, but she is susceptible right now. Henry’s place is at her side, giving her and their child additional protection. Until you produce an heir of your own, Mark, that child is literally your family’s future. It is your heir.”

“Good, good.” Mark let his eyes rest closed. “One less thing to worry about.” One less thing to feel guilty about.

After a few more moments of silence, Zhou Mi said, “Are you absolutely certain that you are ready to confront your uncle?”

Jackson tipped even further, his head resting against Mark’s shoulder. It was a nice weight to have on his shoulders for once.

“I have to be,” Mark said simply.

“He took a small army with him,” Zhou Mi replied. “If anything escalates, the situation will be very violent and very dangerous. We should take into account that should things degenerate into any kind of altercation, there will only be very angry, very deadly vampires in the fray. Casualties are … certain.”

Mark let his own head tip down against Jackson’s, soaking in his presence. 

Gently, Zhou Mi said, “It’s one thing to claim you are ready to take your uncle’s life. It’s another to do it.”

“Zhou Mi,” Mark said roughly, more than he intended, “my uncle killed the whole of my immediate family. He betrayed the people who loved him in the most ruthless and despicable way, and he planned to use me from the start to further his own agenda. He lied to me, tricked me, and after I was no longer useful to him, he planned to kill me just like he killed everyone else. This man deserves no mercy from me, Zhou Mi, and I won’t be able to feel as though I’ve seen justice done to my family until he’s dead. I will kill him. I will. I didn’t arrive at this decision lightly, and I’m not making it easily. But I am making it.”

“All right,” Zhou Mi said. “I suppose I’ll help you. I certainly can’t let you do this on your own.”

Mark appreciated the sentiment, but he wasn’t certain Zhou Mi had any right helping him. The whole matter felt like something Mark had to do on his own. 

Half an hour before they were scheduled to touch down in San Francisco, Jackson was awake, Zhou Mi had moved off to speak with the others, and Mark was beginning to feel as though he’d finally reached the end. 

Thank god he had friends. All he could think of was how lost he’d be without their support. He owed them more than they would ever know. 

Jackson’s sport calloused fingers surprised him by brushing across his jaw and drawing his attention. 

“Stop worrying so much. We’re going to kick major ass.” He laughed a little. “Or hey, this could all go down horribly boring the way of diplomacy and I’ll have reneged on school, right in the middle of our standardized testing, for a snooze fest.”

Mark gave him a forced smile. “Are you going to be in trouble with your parents? There’s no way you won’t be missed, especially with the testing.”

Jackson scoffed. “I’m sure the school will be sure to notify them that I’ve been absent from class for half a week, but they either won’t get the message for a few more months, or won’t care. As long as I stay out of trouble, I can pretty much do whatever I want.”

“This doesn’t count as trouble?”

Jackson leaned forward to press his dry lips against Mark’s. “You don’t have a clue what I did to get kicked out of my last school. This is nothing.”

Mark kissed him back, more out of relief than anything else. 

The pilot came over the intercom to announce that they were coming up on their destination and Mark watched Zhou Mi make his way over.

“I’ve already spoken to Prince Kyuhyun on the plane’s satellite phone,” Zhou Mi said. “He’s arranged for a car to be waiting for us on the tarmac when we land and it’ll take us directly to the council’s location. The vote hasn’t happened yet, but we’re going to be cutting it very close. Your uncle is already there.”

“Kyuhyun’s okay?” Mark asked worriedly. “There’s no way my uncle doesn’t know Kyuhyun suspects him. Does he know to watch out?”

“Trust me.” Zhou Mi laid a heavy hand on Mark’s shoulder. “Prince Kyuhyun is more than capable of taking care of himself, even without Minho and Changmin there to watch after him. And he has a great deal of other allies that your uncle has no knowledge of. He’ll be okay.”

Mark gave a shaky nod. “Okay. Thanks.”

Zhou Mi gestured back to the others. “Strap yourself in for our decent. I’m going to go over a few more things with the others. Call for me if you need me.” Zhou Mi squeezed Mark’s shoulder one more time and then left his side.

“Wow,” Jackson said, his fingers lacing with Mark’s. “I think I was way off the mark with that guy. I can see why your parents would want you to marry him.”

Mark froze, dread welling up in him. “Jackson … I …”

“He’s pretty awesome,” Jackson added. “As far as matches go. Mostly I thought they were just really crappy, between people who didn’t like each other, or like, one really old person and one really young one. But you two are compatible, and not what I expected.”

“I …” Mark was terrified now that Jackson knew. He’d wanted to be the one to break the news to Jackson, to cushion it as best he could. He didn’t want to hurt Jackson, and he knew Zhou Mi was the subject that could hurt the worst.

“You’re pretty much a pimp, I guess.”

Mark’s eyes widened. “What?” That was not what he had been expecting.

“Well,” Jackson said, wiggling his eyebrows. “You’ve got Zhou Mi pretty much infatuated with you, willing to do anything and everything for you. And you’ve got my fine ass to boss around and make out with. You’re a pimp, Mark. A pimp.”

“I am not a pimp,” Mark said sourly, pinching the bridge of his nose. “And for your information, I didn’t even know I was matched until a little while ago. I didn’t know Zhou Mi existed before coming to Hawthorne, and I had no idea that my parents had matched me to begin with. My mom had always told me she wouldn’t, but she did it when I was just a kid. Then she lied to me about it.” It still stung terribly to think about.

“Well, he seems to totally be into you, not that I blame him.”

Mark made sure his voice was a low as possible, then told Jackson, “I’m not playing the both of you. I’m not, I swear. I have no plans to marry Zhou Mi, no matter how nice I think he is. I’m the head of my family now, and that means I get to make decisions on matters like that. No one can force me to do anything.”

“Mark,” Jackson said softly, as if to stop him.

But feeling panic rise in him, Mark rushed to say, “I was going to dismiss our match at my introduction. But something came up. Something serious. Jackson, I wouldn’t keep the match unless I absolutely had to, and I feel like I do. In order to protect someone, the match has to stand for the moment, but only for right now. When the time is right, at the first chance I get, I will dissolve the match. I don’t want to be matched. I don’t want to have anyone else tell me who I should or shouldn’t be with. Zhou Mi is my match because neither one of us chose it, but I do choose you, Jackson. I chose you to be my boyfriend because I like you and I want to have a relationship with you. Truthfully, I never wanted you to know about Zhou Mi. I didn’t want this to hurt you, because I care about you so much.”

With a narrowed gaze, Jackson asked, “You’re going to dissolve the match? It’s a sure bet? You’re not going through with this arranged marriage that your parents just sprung on you after they’d already … passed away?”

Mark gave an affirmative nod. “Right after we finish dealing with my uncle, and I work out a solution to avoid getting some people hurt, it’s a done deal. By the end of the year. I swear.” He couldn’t imagine it taking longer than that, not to figure out a way to protect Liling, and Zhou Mi by extension. When Mark figured out how to keep them safe within their own family, then the archaic match process was going right out the window for him.

He had … some kind of feelings for Zhou Mi, and when he had a moment to even catch his breath and sort them out, he would deal with them for what they were. But no matter what, regardless of who he had feeling for, Jackson or Zhou Mi, he couldn’t stay matched. He couldn’t be a part of something he saw as oppressive.

“Good.” Jackson leaned over for a deeper kiss than they’d shared in a while, his mouth moving hungrily against Mark’s. It probably should have been an embarrassing kiss, so open and public with so many people likely seeing. Including Zhou Mi. But it felt amazing, and it was strengthening Mark to a degree, so he pushed away all his other unease.

“Good?” Mark asked.

“Good,” Jackson repeated, “Because I fully acknowledge that Zhou Mi is pretty awesome, and I don’t think we could have saved you without him, but I am the way more sexier catch. And you are far too smart not to realize that.”

Mark leaned his head down on Jackson’s shoulder as he felt the plane dip down in altitude a little. “I am very smart.”

“Recognized.”

“Good,” Mark echoed one last time. He leaned over to kiss Jackson’s cheek. “And I was kind of wondering something, too.”

“Hmm?”

“After we do this,” Mark said quietly, reflecting on the sadness of the situation, “I’m not going to have any family left at all. Not any I’m close with. I mean, I have Henry, but he’s going to be pretty busy with Amber for a while. A long while. So I was wondering, if the offer still stood, well, Santa Monica sounds great.”

The smile Jackson gave him in return was enough to melt any bit of resistance that might have been lingering in Mark’s heart. “Yeah?” Jackson asked, almost like he didn’t believe what Mark was offering. 

“Yeah,” Mark confirmed. “It sounds good to me if it sounds good to you.”

Jackson leaned in for a better, even more consuming kiss. To Mark, it felt like heaven.

They were on the ground in twenty-five minutes, faster than expected, and Zhou Mi was rushing Mark and Jackson into a waiting car.

He must have felt the hesitation racing through Mark’s body when he was close enough to realize the car looked almost identical to the one that he’d last been in. The one they’d had the accident in. Because Zhou Mi leaned down to whisper in his ear, “I’ll be with you the whole time. Do not let your fear conquer you.”

“Come on,” Jackson said almost defiantly, pulling Mark into the car before Zhou Mi could say another word.

“What about the others?” Mark asked when they were zooming towards their destination. 

“They’re in the second car,” Zhou Mi said, and for the first time Mark realized Zhou Mi had a briefcase with him. Silver and thin, Mark gave it a hard stare. “They’ll be seconds behind us.”

“We’re going to need all those guys?” Jackson asked. “This thing is really going to turn into a fight?”

It struck Mark in that moment how utterly brave Jackson had to be. He was loud and boisterous half the time, full of unnecessary bravado and ego, but only a man filled with courage and bravery would be hurdling head first into the upcoming situation.

Zhou Mi said, flipping open the catches on the briefcase, laying it out on his knees, “Mark’s uncle took a small militia with him. If we run into resistance, and I assume we will, you’ll be thankful to have the others. Each of them would give their lives to protect Mark on Prince Kyuhyun’s orders. Keep that in mind.”

Mark paled the second he was privy to the contents of the case. He felt a little dizzy and his ribs were burning again. He healed at an accelerated rate due to his blood legacy, but he was still in pain. He would be for a while.

“Zhou Mi.”

“This is insurance,” Zhou Mi said plainly, extracting the black gun from the case and a matching ammo cartridge. “Your uncle’s men will be carrying weapons with them, and while I’m confident in my abilities without a gun,” Mark could personally attest to seeing that, “I would like to not take a chance with your life.”

“Put all that ammo to a pureblood vampire and it still won’t stop them,” Jackson pointed out, peeking around the case to add, “Not unless you’ve got some Underworld UV bullets in there. But even then I don’t think a couple taps to the heart would do it.”

“No,” Zhou Mi agreed, meeting his gaze. “I don’t have fictional movie bullets in this case. Neither would such bullets likely make our kind explode. But several rounds of regular iron and lead to the brain will. A pureblood’s heart stops beating several years after maturity, when the conversion from birth is complete. But take out the brain and regardless of species, the target is neutralized.”

“How many do you have in there?” Mark asked, feeling his pulse pick up with the speedometer in the car. 

“Enough,” Zhou Mi said simply. He inspected the gun once over and held it far too comfortably in his grip afterwards.

Jackson whispered at Mark, “I say we stick next to him and that gun. Deal?”

Mark eyed the gun as they drove on. It was supposed to make him feel better, he knew that. But it only made him apprehensive. And scared. Mostly, the idea that they’d need it, made him scared.


	22. Twenty-Two

When they arrived at their destination, the same place Mark had met the council previously, he practically dove from the car with a flying leap. He felt either Zhou Mi or Jackson on his heels as he tore past stationed guards, being recognized by them to get by just fast enough.

He was out of breath, sweating heavily, and more than a little panicked by the time he burst into the chamber the council was housed within. There were dozes and dozens of other vampires, all of them purebloods, scattered around, and they all seemed to freeze the moment Mark shouted at them to stop everything.

There could have been a million people in the room for all Mark cared. A million, incredibly important people, and all he would have cared about was his uncle at the front of the room, and the shocked expression on his face.

“This,” the head of the first family remarked, standing slowly, “is unexpected, Prince Mark.”

Mark pushed through the masses of people, making his way to the front. “Let me guess, you were informed that I was on death’s door, the poor victim from yet another attack by the humans?”

Kyuhyun stood quickly, stating, “We were told that. Some of us were, however, doubtful that a prince of your pedigree would be in such a position.”

“I was attacked,” Mark growled out, stalking close to his uncle, “but not by any humans. I was attacked by vampires, on my way back to the one place I was the safest, and they were under orders by my uncle, Marcus, to subdue me.”

“Preposterous!” his uncle shouted, his voice echoing. “Council members, my nephew is suffering from a concussion, severe injuries, and is clearly confuted. In fact, he shouldn’t even be on his feet.”

Mark rounded on him, “That’s what you tried to do, isn’t it? Keep me off my feet. You kept me sedated, against my will, prolonging my condition, forcing the council to send a representative, rather than let me come here for a vote. All because you wanted to control exactly what that vote was. You wanted to control me. That’s been your goal from the very beginning. From the start of all this, when you were willing to kill your family to get what you wanted.”

A fury of voices rose up and several council members were calling for order.

“You kill my parents!” Mark shouted, feeling the beast in him stir. “You killed my sisters and my brother! You killed Kyuhyun’s sister, and when he tried to speak up, you killed Siwon. You killed everyone who even had the possibility of standing in your way, and you were so arrogant about it that you never thought you’d get caught. You never though anyone would ever catch on!”

“Prince Mark,” another council member stated, “these are severe accusations for a child to be making.”

Mark looked behind him, to the confident face of Zhou Mi, the encouraging one of Jackson, and all the vampires who’d come with him to support him. They believed in him. They knew he could end this.

He only had to believe in himself.

“I am not a child!” he shouted, louder than he had ever been in his life. “I am the head of the fourth family, descendant from the first vampire himself, and I am a member of this council. You will not disrespect me or this institution by implying that I am anything less. I am your equal, and this is not a frivolous accusation I’m making.”

“You--” his uncle stated.

“Get out of the way!” a voice shouted. There was some pushing, a lot more yelling, and soon enough Mark could see Henry. He looked older, like someone who was destined and more determined to be a father early in the next year, and he’d dyed his hair a darker color than before. But he was alive, healthy, and even if he was unexpected, he was certainly wanted. Dongwoo, Hoya, and then Changmin and Minho were flanking him, closing in on him in a protective way that Mark couldn’t help feeling relieved about. 

“Henry!” It didn’t make sense at all why Henry was there, Henry who was in danger every second Mark’s uncle was free to do as he pleased. But Mark would have been lying if he tried to claim he wasn’t glad to see Henry. Seeing Henry meant Henry was safe, and he only would have left Amber and their baby if they were safe, too.

“Enough!” the first councilman shouted again. “This is not--”

“Proof!” Henry shouted. Knowing Henry, Mark suggested he was still yelling just to annoy the council member. “I have proof of everything Prince Mark has claimed. … or will claim …” He trailed off a little sheepishly. “I’m not sure how much you’ve said yet, Mark.”

“Henry,” Mark’s uncle growled. Mark could see his fangs peeking, a hint of the rage he was likely feeling. “You do not--”

“I’m the proof, actually. I …” Henry turned to Mark, absolute pain and remorse on his face. “I suspected--maybe even really knew, that my father was responsible for what happened to Mark’s family--our family. I saw the signs, I heard the conversations, and deep down, I knew. And I will explain everything, proving that my father is responsible. If justice means anything to this council that represents us, you will listen.”

“This is a mockery!” Mark’s uncle shouted, veins budging on his neck. “I will not stand here and be accused of such treason!”

Mark looked desperately back to the council, demanding, “Have you voted yet?”

Kyuhyun gave a somber nod. “Your vote was officially tallied in with the rest several minutes ago. We’ve reached our decision.” 

Mark regretted a lot of things in his life. Many things that were too late to take back, or make right. Things related to his family were a great deal of those regrets. He felt all the time now how he should have said how much he loved the more, and spent more time with them and just been a better son. But not even those regrets compared to the one he was feeling over the vote. But despite how guilty he felt for the way he’d voted, and who had the potential to be hurt by it, he knew it had been ultimately the only way he could vote. There hadn’t been a choice in the end, only the illusion of it.

“Then let’s hear it!” Mark’s uncle called out. 

The head of the first family, a vampire that Mark was beginning to expect reason and rationale from, stated, “We will deal with the accusations that have been levied by one of our own after the vote is revealed.”

Mark’s uncle turned to look at him and the icy anger that he saw staring back at him was nothing that Mark had ever seen from him before in his life. And also … there was also the hint of something else. Disappointment? Fear? Mark couldn’t pin it down, but the look was certainly one that promised they’d never repair their relationship. They’d never be close, and they’d likely never really love each other again.

“I’ll make the announcement,” Kyuhyun said, giving nothing away as he stepped forward with a rolled parchment in hand.

Mark took a deep breath. This was it. The moment of truth. Had his vote counted for as much as he’d been hoping it had? They’d all been so sure that with the numbers, his was going to be the tipping point. It had to be.

Kyuhyun unrolled the paper and scanned it for a second before speaking. “After careful deliberation, all matters considered, and having reached a majority agreement,” Kyuhyun said strongly, giving nothing away on his face, “this council, on the matter of revoking the boundaries set forth by the human and vampire treaty, has voted not to retract the current incarnation of the treaty--”

The rest of the words were stolen away from Mark’s ears by the swell of the noise from the vampires surrounding him and the sweet, impossible realization that he’d prevented a war. He’d potentially scarified the last of the people he truly loved, but he’d stopped a war.

No matter what Henry and Amber meant to him, no matter that their baby’s innocent life hung in the balance, he couldn’t have allowed the start of a war that would kill potentially millions. He was, as heartbreaking and devastating the idea was, prepared to sacrifice Jackson, Zhou Mi and each and every vampire he cared the most for the stop the war from happening. Because it was the right thing to do, and because he’d long since learned that being the head of his family meant putting aside personal feelings and doing what was best for the majority.

It wouldn’t have mattered what kind of threat his uncle made, or what was implied. Mark could have forfeited his own life over the vote, and he still would have cast it in the same way.

No new war between the vampires and humans was starting on Mark’s watch, not until he did absolutely everything in his power to try and prevent it.

The mind numbing bliss he was feeling was absolutely shattered by the wave of chaos that followed.

The massive crowd of vampires gave a terrible lurch as a roar of noise started up. Something heavy and excruciatingly painful slammed into Mark, taking him off his feet, and all he could hear were the screams of the people around him intermixed by the sound of gunfire. With a second bone crushing shove, Mark realized that it wasn’t just the vampires around him turning on each other. Someone was deliberately aiming for him, and in the rush of warm bodies that kept streaming into the huge room, Mark couldn’t get a handle on the threat.

Mark rolled up and away from his attacker after what felt like an eternity, and he’d just gotten his feet under him when he was slammed into again, this time clearly by his uncle who was twice as unforgiving as any hit before.

Mark stumbled, crashing into someone else before his uncle was wrenching him up and nearly throwing him a good distance. Mark immediately lost track of the council, his allies, and almost everyone else. He could only see a sway of faces blurring together in front of him as he was spun again, and then finally he was crashing through a far set of double doors. 

 

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done!” his uncle thundered. He shoved Mark again and again, pushing at him more like a frustrated toddler than a man hunting for blood.

The fighting behind them was growing more and more distant as his uncle herded him away and Mark fought to get his bearings. 

“You ungrateful child!”

“You murderous traitor!” Mark screamed back, though he could barely draw in enough air to breathe, and speaking was even more difficult. His injuries were catching up with quickly and his exhaustion was making it difficult to dig up the beast that had been resting in his chest for so long. It was a scary thought, for once that the beast was so far away. He was going to need his more primal instincts just to survive. 

Mark wasn’t stupid. He’d long since figured out that his uncle had purposely separated him from the others. They probably still thought he was out in the chaos, they were likely looking for him, and by the time they realized he wasn’t there …

“You foolish ingrate!”

Mark pushed on, as if this were the climax of a great battle he hadn’t known he’d been fighting until just now. He gave a declaring hiss, clawed towards the beast in him and this time he was the one rocketing forward, swinging madly at his uncle, calling upon all of his vampire strength and endurance. 

His uncle was older, stronger, and more tested. Yet Mark refused to be defeated. He refused to let his family’s killer win. And if necessary, he would die to make it happen. It would be worth it, he realized it, to put everything to rest. 

“I sacrificed everything for this!” his uncle bellowed, elbow slamming into Mark’s chest, making him stumble back, and through another set of dividing doubt doors to the next room over. “I ruined myself and this family for something you’ve undone so easily!”

“You killed my parents! Your sister! How could you?”

“I sacrificed!” his uncle corrected. “I made an impossible decision to pay my debts!”

“Debts!” Mark raged back.

“Do you think I made that decision easily?” his uncle gasped out, his face straining with emotions. “But I did what I had to! I did what was necessary to protect Henry, and to save you!”

Where was Zhou Mi? Where was Jackson? Mark’s head was spinning and he needed backup.

Mark could hear the continued discharge of weapons and even more screaming, but it was distant now as he lurched forward and traded blows with his uncle, gaining the upper hand, then losing it, then gaining it again. The push and pull between them was monstrous. 

“I got lucky,” Mark snapped back. “I got lucky that you needed me!”

“Are you serious?” His uncle bit out a hiss of a laugh. “You were supposed to die with them!”

Mark’s body locked up at the sound. “What? But … I …”

“I saved you,” his uncle ground back in a terrible way. “I convinced Her. I said you would be an invaluable resource. I saved your life because I love you. Because you’re my favorite, and because you were the only one I could save.”

Her. There it was again. This Her.

Eyes narrowed Mark demanded, “Who’s been telling you to do these things?” Who could possibly be controlling someone like Mark’s uncle? “Who is--”

“You know nothing,” the older man cut back suddenly. “You have no idea who truly holds all the power. We’re mere fodder Mark, but everything I have done has been for you. For you and for Henry.”

Mark dragged in a ragged breath, and planted his feet more squarely on the ground in front of him. “You killed your family and you won‘t even take responsibility for it. You took out nearly everyone that I love and you were supposed to. To start a war, which would have killed even more people.”

His uncle’s hair was flying wild around his face, his clothing torn, lip bleeding, looking more like an animal than a vampire. “This war is coming, Mark, whether you want it to or not. Whether you managed to stop it this day or otherwise. Today means nothing. It’s a mere roadblock, and it won’t be an immovable one. This is nothing for Her, and you’ve just ruined all I’ve done to keep you safe. I can’t keep you that way anymore, Mark. I can’t even protect Henry now.”

“You’re crazy,” Mark huffed out. “You killed your sister--your own sister. Your twin and the other half of your soul. You were supposed to love her more than anyone else on this planet. But you killed her to try and start a war that would have great casualties on both sides. You killed her for power and to get what you wanted, so don’t feed me this bullshit about trying to protect people.”

“I did love her,” his uncle spat out viciously. “I loved her more than you will ever love anyone in your life!” And against all expectations, Mark could see the tears in his uncle’s eyes as he spoke. “I ripped out my own heart when I played my part in her death! But unlike you, Mark, I understand when by debtor comes to collect!”

Mark shook his head slowly. “She would have been so disgusted with you. Her beloved brother, that she fought so hard to defend whenever my father had something terrible to say. She would hate you right now, if she was alive.”

The tears were still coming, but angrily now as his uncle returned, “No, Mark, you child, she would be thankful. Because I saved her child. I saved her bloodline.”

“You tried to have me killed after I voted!”

Piercing laugher cut through the air. “It was a rouse!” 

Mark’s heart seized up in his chest. “A … rouse …” But …

“I didn’t fight this hard to keep you alive to have you die in the end,” his uncle said. “You, for all intents and purposes, would have appeared dead. But you would not have been. Instead you’d have been safely escorted out of the country by the very few vampires I trust with my life and yours, and away from the danger until I could properly handle what the situation had dissolved into. You and Henry would have been out of harm’s way, and all you had to do was play dead for a bit. But you couldn’t even do that.”

No. That couldn’t be right. None of that sounded right, so Mark argued back, “You had a death certificate prepared.”

“To hide you from Her! To make Her think you were dead! To keep you safe until my debt was cleared!”

Mark sucked in deep, heavy breaths.

“Who is this Her?”

Head cocking a little, his uncle laughed out bitterly, “Your executioner now.”

There was a nearby chair and Mark reached for it without warning, thinking of his lost family and his uncle’s admission of guilt. He swung it up catching his uncle off guard.

When he was six he’d started marital arts training. It had been karate first, then muy thai, and finally mixed martial arts. He never professed to be a master at any of them, and his interested in going to lessons had fallen away as high school had progressed, but he still remembered enough. He remembered enough to get his revenge. 

“You are a monster!” Mark screamed, laying into the older man as much as he could. “You willingly let your closest family members die! You are the one responsible. It’s your hand that did this. It was you! My mom is dead because of you! Grace is dead! Joey and Tammy, too!”

His beast, his most primal instincts, was banging wildly in his chest, screaming to be let out, and Mark pulled it free. He wanted to be of complete sound mind when he killed his uncle. He wanted to remember his actions for the rest of his life. But it was more important that justice was served and less important that he was sane when it happened.

“I did what was necessary!” his uncle argued back. “I killed them! I killed them all, and I’d do it again! And if you get in my way, Mark, if you persist, I’ll kill you too! You can’t stop this Mark, and you have no idea what you’re doing!”

His uncle swung high and hard, and Mark barely dodged in time. 

He saw his opening.

When Mark had been four, before Joey had been born, when Tammy had still wanted to hang out with him, and Grace hadn’t been introduced just yet, he’d thought that his uncle was the sun and the moon. That’s when it had started. They’d had a seemingly unbreakable bond from the beginning, and it only flourished and grew from that point.

Then his uncle’s wife, his Aunt Sam had died, and instead of growing distant, Mark and his uncle had only grown closer.

His uncle had always been the one Mark confided in. He loved his parents, loved them so much, but his uncle was more like a best friend than anything else. They talked about all the things that Mark didn’t think he could talk to his parents about, and from that came absolute loyalty. 

When the attack had happened, when Mark had lost everyone and everything, he had thought he would fall apart. He’d thought he’d wither and die too. He wanted to.

But his uncle had kept him going. He’d reminded Mark that there were things still worth living for, family still left to cherish, and Mark had survived because of him.

The irony was disgusting.

His uncle threw a slow but brutally powerful fist in his direction, the kind that intended to end the fight, but Mark was agile and quick enough to dart around him, knock his feet out from under him and slam the blunt side of his hand into his uncle’s throat. His uncle was so old he no longer breathed, but it must had been terribly painful, and Mark enjoyed every bit of the howl his uncle gave.

A quick spinning kick had the man slamming down to his knees.

“I am sick to my stomach!” Mark shouted, curling one hand around his uncle’s neck. His nails, a pureblood vampire’s first line of physical defense and offense, wouldn’t pop for another few years, but his nails were naturally long enough to cut in and draw blood. “Sick, uncle. To be related to you. To have loved you.” The beast flared up and for the first time, Mark felt in control of it. He felt like it was him, and not just something controlling him.

“Mark,” his uncle choked out.

“I am named after you,” Mark edged out. “My mom loved you so much she fought my dad for almost nine months to name me after you, and she hardly ever fought him on anything.”

“I loved her,” his uncle rasped. “I scarified her for you.”

Mark cut his fingers deeper into the man’s skin, feeling the flesh tear beneath his grip. “You didn’t. Because if that were the case, you would have done anything to protect her. Anything. Instead you had her killed. You had her life stolen away, along with everyone else in the family, and that makes you a vile, pathetic excuse of a man. You don’t deserve to live, not when she didn’t get to, and I am going to see justice done.”

“Mark. Please. You don’t understand. You don’t understand the debt.”

“Please?” Mark demanded, chest heaving. “Did you actually just say that?”

His uncle squeezed his eyes shut. “Mercy.”

In the distance the gunfire was dying down, even if the screams weren’t. 

“You think you deserve mercy?”

Just a few more pounds of pressure. He only had to squeeze a bit tighter, then twist and pull, and he’d have his vengeance.

“I …” his uncle tried. “I ask for--”

“There was no mercy for Grace, who was supposed to get married soon. No mercy for my parents who wanted to try for another baby, or Tammy who had just started college, or Joey who was just a damn kid! They didn’t get mercy, so why should you think you deserve it? Is it because you think you’re so much more superior than anyone else?”

It was time. Mark had had enough of listening to the sniveling and the pleading and just the mere sight of the vampire in front of him. He wasn’t going to be stalled by lies, by the plea for mercy, by anything else. Instead he looked at his uncle with absolution and said his own goodbyes silently.

But the sight of him …

His uncle looked so much like his mother. They were fraternal twins, both blond as babies, lean and tall as adults, and so beautiful. His uncle was, as least facially speaking, the most beautiful man Mark had ever seen, and his mother had been the most beautiful woman. Looking at him was like looking at her. 

And the look he was giving Mark right now …

It wasn’t too far off from the look his mother would give him when she desperately wanted him to make the right choice. To act like an adult, his age, and not give into childish or petty urges. She made a specific face when she wanted something from him that would require a great deal of self control. 

If she could see him now, if she knew what he was about to do …

She’d be so disappointed.

She might never forgive him.

Because to her, loyalty to family was immeasurable.

Family was everything.

Even the shitty, murderous, not deserving of life, family members.

Slowly, against every instinct bouncing around inside him like a hurricane, Mark released his grip on his uncle.

“You disgust me,” Mark hissed at him, delivering a swift kick to the man’s chest, forcing him down onto his back. “And I want to kill you so badly I think I might go mad with the want. But I’m not a murderer. I’m not like you. In this case, I am better than you. So I’m going to turn you over to the council. I’m going to let the council decide your fate, and afterwards I never want to see your face ever again. I’m going to go about my life, and it’ll be an amazing one, and I’ll pretend like I never had an uncle. He never existed. I never loved him. And that will be that.”

“Mark,” his uncle rasped out, reaching for him. “You don’t know … I can tell you … the debt …”

He expected to feel some sort of emptiness after his decision. He expected more anxiety, less ease, and a sense that he’d made a choice he didn’t personally agree with. A choice he’d made for someone else, and not for himself. The beast was settling down, content, if a little disappointed, and Mark was starting to retain complete control. It felt like a victory, to have bested the animal in him and not lost himself. 

“I did all this for you. I did it to save you and Henry.”

Mark ignored him.

But as he turned away, meaning to go back for help in hauling his uncle in for judgment, he felt lighter. He felt like the choice he’d made even if it left him without personal justice, was what his family would have preferred. He felt like he’d given them justice by abiding by their preferences, and it was a good feeling.

He sensed movement behind him just a second too late, his knee being kicked in sharply and his body spinning down to the ground. 

It was broken. Shattered. His knee. It was beyond painful, and his shouts for help as his uncle loomed over him were made in desperation.

“You never had a spine,” his uncle said, blood streaking down his neck from where Mark’s fingernails had dug in. “You were always too much like your father. Soft. Unworthy.”

“Everyone knows what you did,” Mark said, barely keeping from letting the agony of his ribs, and now his knee, overtake him. “Everyone knows you’re a murderer.”

“I did everything for you!” His uncle loomed above Mark like an angel of death, ready to strike. “I paid my debt and lowered myself to beg for your life in return! I killed my own sister, my beloved sister to do so, and prided myself on having saved the life of her most precious child. But I will not allow you to endanger Henry. I will kill you, Mark, to keep Henry safe from Her, and since you can’t keep your mouth shut, or listen to reason, you’ve gone and made my decision for me.”

Mark wanted to move, wanted to run, or even crawl away. But his leg was throbbing, breathing was hard, and he was spent. He was exhausted. “Someone is going to come looking for me. Someone is going to come any second.”

“Everyone is distracted at the moment,” his uncle said, fangs barred. 

Mark tried to push himself away on the floor, but his knee was pulsing with debilitating pain, too much for him to concentrate on much, and certainly too much for him to move. He was stuck.

“Uncle,” Mark tried to plead.

“You did this to yourself,” his uncle returned, giving Mark’s shattered knee a particularly painful kick that had Mark screaming himself hoarse. “And no one is coming to save you now.”

“I wouldn‘t say that,” Kyuhyun announced, appearing behind Mark’s uncle. “He will always have me to watch his back, as he should have had you.”

The spray of blood across Mark’s face as Kyuhyun sunk his elongated nails into his uncle’s neck, and the ripped the flesh to pieces, was unexpected. It stunned him, blotting out the pain he was feeling for just a moment.

His uncle’s body hit the floor with a heavy thump, blood gushing from his body as his lifeless eyes bore into Mark’s own.

Mark felt anything but relieved. He felt … devastated at the loss, even if there’d been no other choice, and even though his traitorous uncle had deserved nothing short of death.

“Are you okay?” Kyuhyun asked him, kneeling down at Mark‘s side. He had a bloody shoulder and some swelling to the right side of his jaw, but he had the same presence as ever. The kind that Mark had begun to rely on.

“I …”

Mark looked to where his uncle was laying. He was curled onto his side in an undignified way, and there was a growing pool around him, creeping out around his head, like a red halo. Heartbeat or not heartbeat, no vampire could survive such trauma and severe blood less. 

His uncle was dead.

It seemed as if Mark had gotten what he truly wanted all along. And he hadn’t had to get his hands dirty in the process.

“Mark?” Kyuhyun asked. 

Instead of gunshots and screams he could now hear people shouting his name. Frantically.

Mark sat up as quickly as he could, which turned out to be excruciatingly slow. He drew in air, feeling like it was too thin, and wrapped is arms around himself, fighting the creeping chill.

“You killed him.”

“I did,” Kyuhyun said, voice devoid of emotion. 

Mark felt like he couldn’t look away from his uncle. He couldn’t look away from the stain of blood and the lack of movement.

“For Grace?”

Kyuhyun offered a hand down to Mark. “For your entire family. And for mine. For everyone who has suffered. Everyone.”


	23. Twenty-Three

Mark had needed to see for himself. 

After all he’d been through, all he’d sacrificed, and the casualties along the way, he’d needed to see in person. Maybe he’d needed to just come and find closure with the last bit of the puzzle that he could solve on his own. 

But Kyuhyun? There was no way Mark could even begin to guess what Kyuhyun was there for. He was too much of a mixed bag of emotions--too unstable as of late to be predictable. Though very much under stably so.

Still, coming to see Siwon’s eldest sister, and then new head of the ninth family, Sooyoung, had been unavoidable for Mark. Even if Kyuhyun hadn’t asked him to come, in spite of what had happened only days earlier, Mark probably would have found his way anyway.

“There he is,” she said with such weariness, directing their eyes to the white vase situated high on the adjacent wall of the somber feeling room. There were dozens of other vases and boxes and obvious urns surrounding Siwon’s, but his stood out even amongst them. It was a little shocking, actually, that she’d been able to keep the ashes, and that they’d been placed amongst the remains of other family members. It almost seemed a faux pas, but Mark certainly wasn’t going to judge.

Next to him, Mark heard Kyuhyun suck in a sharp breath.

“I …” Mark broke off before he could say anything significant. Siwon had been a traitor. He’d lied and he’d been responsible for so many deaths, or at least played a part in that responsibility. If Siwon had been stronger, and less greedy or desperate, Mark’s family would be alive. But in the end Siwon had tried. He’d become an ally and he had given the last moments of his life to try and save Mark’s. 

Now Siwon was dead, someone with answers and power, and the ramifications were significant. Mark wondered how many more people would he lose. How many more would die before the end?

Softly, Sooyoung said, “I know. It doesn’t seem real.”

To Mark, Sooyoung was a real beauty like her brother. But most of her beauty came from the way she carried herself, how she’d so effortlessly taken over for her brother and situated herself as Mark’s ally, and how she continued to be strong even with her brother’s ashes in a vase in front of her. 

Taking a small step forward, Mark asked, “They’re saying it’s suicide? Officially?”

“Of course they are,” Kyuhyun interjected, eyes narrowed. “We know this faction of rouge vampires runs deep, Mark. But we have to assume they have members everywhere, and can easily manufacture a lie like this.”

“My brother,” Sooyoung cut in coolly, “would never have committed suicide. Not even to save our family’s honor. He was devout. He would never have crossed that taboo.”

Mark almost gave a chuckle. A devout vampire. It was always a little jarring and funny to come across one. They did exist, no matter how few in number, but the conundrum of what they were, and what religion denounced them as, hardly seemed as if both could be accepted within a vampire.

“He didn’t,” Mark told her seriously, and it wasn’t the first time he had denied the officially cause of death given. “He knew he’d been poisoned. He knew someone had targeted him deliberately because he was about to come clean.”

The problem was, Mark could see how the idea of suicide had been so easily accepted as fact. When Mark’s uncle had been exposed, and all of his nefarious behavior dragged up for the whole of vampire society to see, him small web of cohorts had been exposed as well. Including Siwon. The larger group, the one still hiding in the shadows, was burrowed too deep, but Siwon had been linked easily. And all the other small players, vampires Mark hadn’t even known or been aware were involved, had all mysteriously taken their own lives as well.

It might have been plausible, if Mark didn’t know Siwon and what kind of person he was, to think that he might commit suicide to try and save his family the shame of them being linked to Mark’s uncle. 

But that just wasn’t Siwon. 

And there were too many other sudden suicides for it to be anything but suspicious.

Sooyoung made a frustrated noise. 

“If he had spoken up sooner,” Kyuhyun interjected, sounding angry, “this could have been avoided. Live could have been saved. But he chose to keep silent, and to be a willing participant until almost the end.”

“Don’t,” Sooyoung warned Kyuhyun sharply.

“I will do what I want,” Kyuhyun shot back to her, and Mark sighed. 

They were all still too emotional. Most of them were still angry as well..

“We shouldn’t be fighting,” Mark cautioned. 

After some moments of silence, Sooyoung said, “I do understand what my brother did. I understand that he betrayed our family, the fourth, the sixth, and god knows how many others. I know he was a part of something shameful, and because of his actions his name has been struck from our records forever. My brother ceases to exist now, and that is the greatest punishment we have. Can’t that be enough?”

Kyuhyun gave a hoarse cry. “Because of Siwon my sister is dead! Mark’s family is gone. And you think that simply rewriting history is enough?”

“Why?” Mark asked suddenly, and by the lack of an immediate answer, he knew he’d caught them off guard. So he asked again, “Why was Siwon participating from the start? Why did he give up the vital information? He never seemed like the type of be cowed by threats.”

Even Kyuhyun admitted quickly, “He certainly wasn’t.”

It seemed possible to Mark that this was all worse for Kyuhyun than himself. Siwon and Kyuhyun had shared a kind of bond, regardless of the tension in it, that vampires rarely allowed themselves to have. They’d loved each other deeply, trusted each other explicitly, and shared almost everything. Mark had been betrayed by an essential stranger in Siwon, but Kyuhyun had been betrayed by a brother.

“Then what?” Mark pressed. “I think that’s important to know now, and we can’t exactly ask Siwon.” No vampire, not in the history of their species, had been able to communicate with the dead. And like the humans, no vampire could ever be certain about an afterlife, or a lack thereof. 

Kyuhyun’s shoulders fell, which meant he certainly didn’t know.

More curiously, Sooyoung’s face warped into something that resembled fear.

“You know?” Mark asked uncertainly. 

Kyuhyun asked, “Why are you hesitating?”

“Because,” she said, sounding mournful, “you already hate Siwon so much. I don’t want you to hate him anymore. I’m scared his soul won’t be at rest if I tell you.”

Kyuhyun considered her words, as did Mark, and then finally he decided, “I need to know as much as Mark does. What compelled Siwon to turn traitor?”

It was certainly not what Mark was expecting when Sooyoung turned to Kyuhyun and gave him a pointed look, stating plainly, “You did.”

“Excuse me?” Kyuhyun demanded.

She shot back, “My brother never would have allowed himself to be threatened. He himself was not afraid to be in danger, and he knew both my sister and I certainly didn’t need to be protected. We still don’t. This family raises warrior queens, not helpless maidens.”

“Then they threatened Kyuhyun?” Mark guessed. For Kyuhyun, to protect him, Mark could imagine Siwon making a deal with the devil.

“Hardly,” Sooyoung nearly snorted out. “My brother never saw Kyuhyun as someone helpless or in need of protection, either. No, Mark, no one threatened Kyuhyun. But they did promise Siwon that if he did what they said, if he gave them the right information, then they could give my brother the one thing he wanted more than anything else in the world.”

“Me,” Kyuhyun ground out.

So it wasn’t extortion then, it had been bribery. 

And Kyuhyun had been the prize.

Mark knew a little what it felt like, to be the object of someone’s affection, to be viewed as something to be obtained. Mark had spent time in his own right being considered someone’s prize.

It didn’t feel good.

“Siwon told you this?” Kyuhyun demanded roughly.

“Before he died,” Sooyoung confirmed, nodding. “I talked to him just before he died, and he told me everything. He said Mark’s uncle cut the deal himself, on behalf of a larger benefactor, and if he fulfilled his part of the deal, then you’d be his.”

Without warning Kyuhyun spun on heel, and almost at a run he was racing from the room, slamming the door behind him.

Mark flinched at the sound of the heavy wood rocking behind him echoing Kyuhyun’s anger. 

Mark looked back to the white vase. “Siwon had no right.”

She replied, “He knew that in the end. Maybe he even knew it from the start.”

When Mark turned back to her he could see the sadness in her eyes, even if there wasn’t a hint of wetness.

“Did Siwon know that giving up that information would get my family killed? Did he know it would ruin Kyuhyn’s family as well?”

Sooyoung shook her head, and Mark believed her, even as she said, “Siwon made a selfish, incredibly stupid mistake, but not even for Kyuhyun would he have knowingly led to the deaths of innocent parties like Kyuhyun’s sister and your siblings. My brother knew that there was going to be a show of force against the council with the information he provided, but he was under the impression that it would just be a scare tactic. He was told it would be a scare tactic.”

“And he believed that?”

Sooyoung said, “I think he made himself believe that.” She sighed heavily and turned more fully to Mark. “You should understand, my brother has been in love with Kyuhyun from the moment he first saw him. To Siwon, the moon rose exclusively for Kyuhyun. My brother would have abdicated his title to be with Kyuhyun, and faced the scorn and ridicule from our family gladly in return. It pained him deeply that Kyuhyun loved your sister, Grace, and couldn’t return his feelings. In that regard, can you imagine what this sort of deal looked like to him?”

It should have looked like a deal too good to be true.

But in a way, Mark did understand. He just didn’t think Kyuhyun would.

“So that was the proposed deal?” Mark asked. “Siwon gives up some information, follows some directions, and what, Kyuhyun just magically changes his mind about who he loves? Sooyoung, you can’t force someone to love someone else, and I don’t think there’s any way Kyuhyun could ever be swayed from Grace.”

Flatly, Sooyoung said, “I don’t know the details. I don’t know the specifics of how Kyuhyun was just going to be handed over to Siwon. I only know that’s what was intended to happen. Siwon would get Kyuhyun. Siwon would get what he most wanted in this world, and all he had to do was let go of some highly critical information.”

She sounded ashamed of Siwon, ashamed of everything that had happened, and Mark knew the feeling. 

“But him giving up that information got Grace killed,” Mark pointed out. “Siwon had to know that Kyuhyun could never love someone, under any circumstances, who was responsible for that loss.”

Sooyoung nodded. “That’s why he hid his involvement. Because he knew he was ruined, and he knew that Kyuhyun wouldn’t just hate him if he found out … Siwon truly feared Kyuhyun might try to kill him in response.”

Somberly, Mark said, “Kyuhyun loved Grace very much. He loved her in the way that vampires don’t really know how to love anymore.” It didn’t seem like Grace returned the severity of those feelings, but she’d liked Kyuhyun enough, been wholly dedicated to him, and even she’d admitted that he was a very good match. In time, Mark believed she would have grown to love Kyuhyun in return.

“Our father died as well,” Sooyoung reminded. “Siwon was directly responsible for our father dying, and that’s not something that he bore easily. I can see it now, I remember the weeks directly afterwards, and the haunting look he always seemed to have on his face. I didn’t know what it was then, but I do now. Siwon never intended for people to die. He never wanted Grace or your family or our father to die. It hurt him terribly to know he played a part in it all, but he kept quiet because he didn’t know what else to do. And because he understood once you get into bed with the devil, you can’t get out so easily.”

Mark gave a soft, agreeing sound. 

“I shouldn’t have told him.”

“Hm?” Mark asked.

Sooyoung said, “I shouldn’t have told Kyuhyun that Siwon’s near obsession with him is what caused all this. That’s the kind of admission none of us can come back from.”

Slowly, wanting to be sure with his words, Mark said, “Siwon didn’t cause this.”

“He--”

“No,” Mark insisted. “Siwon did not cause this. He played is part, he was one piece of the puzzle, but this didn’t happen because of him. It didn’t even happen because of my uncle. This happened because of one person and only one person, and that’s what we’re gathered here today to talk about. It’s what we have to figure out.”

Sooyoung crossed her arms in a defiant kind of stance. “This woman. This woman who is a puppet master of sorts. The snake charmer.”

Mark nodded. “She orchestrated everything with my uncle, with Siwon, and with countless other people who we don’t even know about yet.”

“All right,” Sooyoung said, turning her back on Siwon’s vase. “Lets go see if we can find Kyuhyun. You all came here for a reason, and we don’t have a lot of time.”

Mark leaned pressure on his leg, on the knee his uncle had shattered, and gave a quiet groan. It was beginning to feel like his knee was a physical reminder of the pain he was still hoarding deep inside. Neither were going away as quickly as he liked, and both would leave lingering phantom pain. 

Neither was it safe for so many of them to be gathering in one spot. This wasn’t something sanctioned by the council, and who knew how many members of the council were trustworthy to begin with. That made the meeting that much more dangerous. They couldn’t afford to draw the attention of certain others, at least not yet.

“There’s Kyuhyun,” Mark said, pointing down the long hallway when he and Sooyoung turned a corner. Kyuhyun was talking quietly with a tall, dark haired boy that Mark had next to no experience with, but had been vouched for by both Kyuhyun and Sooyoung.

Taekwoon. 

“We should start quickly,” Sooyoung said, her gaze not straying anywhere near Kyuhyun. It was a small irritation to Mark who thought they needed to be stronger than ever as a group, and not weak in the slightest if they were going to work together towards their goal.

“Prince Mark,” Taekwoon greeted him, head inclining a bit. “I’m pleased to finally meet you formally.”

Mark returned the gesture and replied, “Prince Taekwoon. Kyuhyun speaks highly of you.”

Mark didn’t know much about Taekwoon of the third family. Mostly he knew that Taekwoon had come to the head of his family suddenly, just like Mark had, and for the same reason. He was quiet and unassuming, hadn’t really dipped his toes into the political landscape of the council just yet, and was rumored to be very level headed. He didn’t seem the sort to get involved in any kind of revenge pact, but here he was.

“In here,” Sooyoung guided bringing them into a dark study and latching the door tightly behind then. 

The four of them sat on sofas and armchairs, facing each other in stony silence for longer than Mark felt comfortable in, none of them truly knowing how to start.

Surprising himself, Mark cleared his throat and boldly stated, “I think we’re all here for the same reason: we want to avenge the people who were taken from us for greedy, horrible reasons.”

Kyuhyun interjected, “This must stay between the four of us. Mark, that means no telling Zhou Mi. Our safety depends on this.”

When Kyuhyun had proposed the meeting between the four of them, and Mark had agreed, he hadn’t imagined he’d be going anywhere without Zhou Mi, or Hoya and Dongwoo for that matter. In the days since the vote had occurred, and the mess that had resulted afterwards, Mark had had three very distinct shadows. It had been four until Jackson had been forced by his furious parents to return to Hawthorne ahead of Mark and the others.

Zhou Mi certainly blamed himself for Mark being separated and isolated by his uncle, then attacked. It was written across Zhou Mi’s face each and every time he and Mark met eyes, but Mark thought that was ridiculous. Zhou Mi had been swarmed the second the fighting had broken out ,and it had taken everything in him just to hold his own. It wasn’t his fault ,and Mark refused to blame him. 

It was just as much that he laid no blame on Dongwoo and Hoya. They’d done their best to get to him as quickly as possible, but the fighting had been insane. Jackson had told Mark afterwards that it had been too difficult to tell friend from foe, and most vampires had simply gotten caught up in bloodlust. The violence and the spilled blood had tripped most of them up, and it had been vampire for vampire, with few alliances.

It was really something of a miracle that Mark’s allies, his most precious people including Kyuhyun, Jackson and Zhou Mi had all managed to band together through the chaos. They’d watched each other’s backs, held off their attackers, and then come for him when they could. 

“He’s my match,” Mark told Kyuhyun sharply. And Zhou Mi had been privy to their shared information from the very start. For all the ups and downs Mark and Zhou Mi had had, his loyalty was certainly not in question. It never would be.

But for the meeting, for the four of them, Kyuhyun had said Zhou Mi couldn’t be there. It was a meeting for the heads of their respective families, and the information being discussed between them was enough to get any of them killed.

Zhou Mi was not a security threat. He would not leak information, intentionally or otherwise. But Mark wanted to prove himself to the others. He wanted them to know that he respected their wishes and could be a strong fourth to their alliance. So he’d left a thunderous Zhou Mi behind and come alone. At least it was something that Mark hadn’t seen Changmin or Minho anywhere.

“And you trust him,” Kyuhyun agreed, “so do I. But this is for our ears only. We can revisit the topic at a later date, but for the time being, we ask that you respect this decision.”

As if to further sooth the situation, Taekwoon insisted, “I won’t be informing my match, either. The risk is simply too high, for us or for the ones we care for.”

Taking a deep breath, Mark nodded. “Okay. For now, just the four of us.”

“Then the issue at hand,” Sooyoung interjected, “is the fact that we have a rouge group of vampires apparent set on the matter of ending the peace between humans and vampires. That can’t be allowed to stand.”

Taekwoon said, “They attempted things justly this time. Even if they manipulated and killed and dishonored us all, they did so within the confines of our laws. I doubt they’ll do so next time.”

“Agreed,” Kyuhyun said. “So we need to work quickly to find out who they are.”

“There’s a Her,” Mark pointed out. “She’s the one in charge. Whoever this Her is.”

Sooyoung folded her hands in her lap. “Siwon spoke of a woman. He never saw her face, he never heard her voice, and he had no direct contact with her, but through the others, he heard a woman referenced many times. She’s most certainly the one in charge. She gave the orders. She orchestrated everything. She should be our target.”

Frowning Mark asked, “But who is this woman?” He felt frustrated over the whole matter. “My uncle spoke of a woman several times, but gave nothing away.”

“Mark,” Kyuhyun said, looking to him. “Tell the others what your uncle kept saying during your final confrontation.” He softened a little, considering the pain associated with the memories, and added, “Please, if you can.”

Nausea was welling up in Mark at the mere idea of revisiting those words, but he knew he had to. Outside of Siwon who was now dead and gone, Mark was the only one with any kind of information on the mysterious woman. 

“He rambled a lot,” Mark cautioned, “and I think he was panicking. He was … not himself.”

“Go on,” Taekwoon urged. 

With a little wince, Mark closed his eyes to remember, “My uncle kept saying that he had saved me. He thought I should be grateful because of what he’d done. This woman, she’s the one who made him do all this … kill all these people. And I think I was supposed to die to, according to my uncle, but he saved me from her. At least that’s what he said.”

“But why?” Sooyoung questioned.

“Maybe …” Mark broke off. He dared to hope that maybe it had been because his uncle had truly loved him. But he certainly wasn’t sure enough to say it aloud. And he wasn’t sure if he wanted to be saved if it meant others had to die. Especially if those others were his family. 

“Go on,” Kyuhyun said.

Mark nodded. “So he said a lot about saving me from her, and protecting Henry and I from her. That tells me that he didn’t agree with her--or at the least didn’t like being told what to do. Maybe he didn’t even want to do what he was. You have to know, my uncle was never one to be told to do anything. He set his own rules, formed own ideas, and he was an utter control freak. To be told to do something .. .and for him to follow direction … there’s something else going on here.”

Sooyoung pointed out, “If this woman was bribing Siwon, maybe she was coercing your uncle in some way.” Her eyes narrowed darkly. “Don’t get me wrong, I loathe and despise the memory of your uncle, Mark. The things he did … I’m sure you understand why I feel the way I do. But if this woman had something on him, if she was forcing his hand, then we need to consider how many others might be in the same position at the moment.”

Sharply, Mark offered, “On more than one occasion, not just the last time I saw my uncle …alive… he talked about how our family had to pay their debts. He was always saying things about debts and making things right.”

Musing out, Taekwoon said, “Vampire debts are a very serious matter.”

Mark nodded in agreement. “But my uncle would never have let himself fall under the thumb of a serious debt.”

“Not nationally,” Sooyoung insisted. “But what if it was out of his control?”

Shaking his head, Mark said, “It doesn’t make sense. I can understand the seriousness of a debt, and my uncle would be honor bound to fulfill it if he was called up on to do so. But all of this? There’s no way all of this would be worth a simple debt. There’s just no way.”

Kyuhyun arched a quizzical eyebrow. “A life debt would.”

“Life debt?” Mark echoed.

Sooyoung and Taekwoon gave agreeing nods. 

Kyuhyun continued, “Your parents were betrothed to each other due to a life debt, correct?”

In the most crude and blunt way, Mark knew his father had been handed over to the fourth family to pay off a life debt. A life for a life. A life debt was the most serious matter in vampire society, but incurring a life debt was no light matter.

“So you think,” Mark asked, “that my uncle would have done all this, even if he didn’t want to, even if he didn’t agree with the means, to pay off a life debt?”

“It’s possible,” Taekwoon said. 

Mark looked between the faces. “But who’s life debt? Who’s life debt would my uncle be repaying? Mine? He said he saved me from her. Is it my life debt he was paying?”

“No,” Kyuhyun dismissed immediately. “It would be your debt, if that were the case, to repay. And if you were a small child, it would be your parent’s.”

“Then who’s?” Mark pried. “Who would my uncle dare to indebt himself for?”

Sooyoung shrugged, and neither Taekwoon nor Kyuhyun seemed to have any possible answers for him.

“No matter the reason for your uncle’s actions,” Kyuhyun decided moments later, “the fact remains that he was only one small piece of a much larger puzzle. This woman may be the one controlling everything, but it must be safe to assume that she has many, many associates who are helping her. We are vastly outnumbered, without even knowing how many, and this is a problem for us.”

“What if we just went to the council?” Taekwoon asked. “Or at the least, to the head of the first family? This is a matter that can’t go unresolved.”

“What if he’s in on it?” Sooyoung challenged.

Taekwoon looked at her in disbelief and Mark himself wasn’t sure.

The thirteen families, for the most part, were on even ground. They were the vampire aristocracy and could all trace their lineage back to the era of the first vampire. But the first family was sacred in a way. Its members were descendants of the first vampire, blood descendants in the same way that Mark and only a few others were. They were of the same family, and considered beyond reproach in most ways.

“This stays here for now,” Kyuhyun stated, voice rising slightly. “Until we know more, and can be more sure who our enemies are, we can’t risk anyone outside the four of us.”

“This woman,” Sooyoung said, “has her claws deep in influential vampires. Mark’s uncle had quite the sordid past, but he was a very prominent member of our society. My brother was a direct heir when he was brought in, and the head of his family later on. She isn’t manipulating those of average standing.”

“She’s serious,” Mark insinuated. 

“I’d say,” Kyuhyun bit out.

“So what do we do?” Taekwoon asked. “How do we proceed?”

“I don’t know,” Mark said honestly, feeling completely lost. “But we have to do something. This is just the beginning. And look how much we’ve already lost. Everyone here has lost family to this woman, and it’s only going to get worse.”

Tapping out a pattern on the table, Kyuhyun mused, “Mark, it falls to you to shoulder a large portion of the burden. Your uncle was directly associated with this woman. He must have left some evidence of her identity. Especially if he was being coerced in some fashion. We need you to find something--anything.”

Before Mark could reply, Sooyoung was saying, “So did Siwon, and I’d bet anything he hated how he was being used, especially when he realized what his actions had brought about. I know my brother. He was one to fight fire with fire. There’s no way he didn’t look into this woman. I can’t say if he found anything, or left any proof, but if it exists, I’ll find it.”

Teakwood pursed his lips for a moment, then stated, “There are very few vampires who would be powerful enough to orchestrate something of this magnitude. I can begin to compile a list and cross-reference that with any of them who’ve had any real activity as of late. Some of them have direct ties to the council and should be prioritized as possible candidates. Also, having a specific gender is helpful.”

“Good,” Kyuhyun agreed.

“What about you?” Mark asked. “What can you do?”

“I’m going to trace the money,” Kyuhyun stated, giving Mark a firm nod. “Any operation of this scale, with the resources involved, required a good deal of it. Money always leaves a trail, and as the head of my family, I have access to a good deal of financial records. What I don’t have access too, I can find other methods of obtaining. If someone is buying men, buying resources, and buying power, I will find them.”

Quietly, and sounding a little heartbroken, Sooyoung said, “These people, and this woman, killed Siwon at the first hint of him spilling their secrets. They’ll do the same to us in less than a second if this gets out. We need to be very, very careful.”

“It’s why I insisted on it being the four of us,” Kyuhyun told her. “We have no deadman’s switch .We have no failsafe. If we draw attention to ourselves, we will be killed.”

“Don’t you think that’s extreme,” Mark protested. “No matter who this woman is, there’s no way anyone could get away with killing four heads of families. No one.”

Sooyoung argued, “Isn’t that what’s already occurred?”

Taekwoon asked, interrupting the two of them, “Are we in agreement that, for whatever reason, this woman’s ultimate goal is war between the vampires and humans?”

Mark agreed, “It does look that way.” Maybe this woman wanted to wipe out the humans, or maybe there was simply the lust for war and destruction. In either case, the ultimate goal had to be conflict between the two species. 

“Then,” Taekwoon continued, “I don’t think it’s beyond this group, led by this woman, to move against us if we stand in their way. Their goal is a complete breakdown of the barely sustained peace between humans and vampires. She has already shown a willingness to move against heirs, heads and whole families. She will likely kill us if there is any realization that we know the slightest bit of information.”

Sooyoung cut out to Kyuhyun, “Maybe if you’d shown some self control in dealing with Mark’s uncle, we might have more answers than we do now.”

Taekwoon said certainly, “He wouldn’t have spoken about this if he was sworn to silence in his life debt.”

Mark could see Kyuhyun prickling at the accusation of carelessness, so he interjected quickly, “Sooyoung, Kyuhyun saved my life. If I choose to believe anything my uncle said, then he was protecting me from this woman for as long as he could. But not at the expense of Henry. He was going to kill me to keep me silent--to keep Henry safe. If Kyuhyun hadn’t been there, I would be dead. He … he did what he had to.”

“I didn’t do it lightly,” Kyuhyun said harshly.

“But it probably wasn’t too difficult for you,” she shot back.

“Enough,” Taekwoon said in a tired voice. “We can’t dissolve our partnership into petty arguments.”

Slowly Mark stood, giving Taekwoon an appreciative look. “I think, also, we’ve lingered here long enough. I have a plane to catch, and we all have work to get started on. We should plan to meet again in several weeks, or whenever is safest.”

Kyuhyun stood as well. “We’ll maintain only minimal contact initially, and again, tell no one of our suspicions.”

In just a few more minutes Mark was headed away from the room, away from Taekwoon and Sooyung, and towards where he had a car waiting for him outside.

“Mark,” Kyuhyun said, stopping him in the foyer before they went their separate ways.

“Don’t worry,” Mark sighed out, “I won’t tell Zhou Mi, even though you know he’d cut out his own tongue to keep our secrets.”

Kyuhyun gave him a soft smile. “It’s not that, and yes, for the record, I do know. But this is about building trust between the four of us, and it’s better built when our circle stays as small as it is at the moment.”

“Oh,” Mark eased out. 

“I …” Kyuhyhun looked uncertain. “I haven’t had a chance to speak to you about what happened. Sooyoung said it, and she wasn’t far from the truth. It wasn’t hard for me to kill your uncle, and part of me enjoyed it. I can’t be sorry for how I feel.”

“And,” Mark told him, arms around himself, “I meant what I said in there, too. You did what you had to. You saved my life. And honestly … I’m a little thankful. If my uncle were still alive, maybe we’d know who this woman is. Maybe not. But there’s no way I could have killed him. I tried. But even to save my life, I couldn’t have killed my uncle. And I’m not sure I could feel anything anymore for Jackson or Zhou Mi if they’d been the ones to do it. I think in a way I needed it to be you, and you needed it to be you, too.”

“Mark …”

“It’s better this way,” Mark insisted. “We both got our closure, and we can both move on.”

It wasn’t that simple. It wasn’t nearly that simple. But for the moment, it was enough.

“I just …” Mark exhaled deeply. “I just don’t think the pain is ever going to go away. I never thought someone like my uncle, who was so important to me, could be the one responsible for manufacturing all those human threats. All those times I was hurt, or scared, or thought I would die, it was him. Even if he was doing it just to scare me into voting a certain way, it felt real at the time. It was real for me.”

“We were very lucky,” Kyuhyun insisted, “that this human threat was something false. it could have easily been real. Some day, it will be. However for now, as much pain as it does cause you, be thankful your uncle attempted to frame the Human’s First organization for your attacks. Be thankful we didn’t go to war over something untrue.”

“I guess you’re right,” Mark reasoned. “If ever there was something to be thankful for, it’s that for the moment, the humans aren’t a threat. The laughable thing is that it’s our kind that’s the threat now. That’s ridiculous, right?”

“Do not dwell wholly on that,” Kyuhyun said, looking concerned. “As long as there are those of us here to fight for peace, any pessimism is premature. And Mark?”

Mark reached for the front door, ready to get back to Hawthorne, back to Jackson, and back to his life. “Hm?”

“Happy birthday. It’s your sweet sixteen tomorrow, isn’t it?”

Mark hardly felt his sixteenth birthday was worth recognizing, not with everything that had happened. But oddly enough, it felt really good to hear the words from Kyuhyun. It was only more of a confirmation that Kyuhyhun was so utterly important to him.

“Thanks,” Mark told him, then pulled open the door and headed away from the house.


	24. Twenty-Four

With one final look to his dorm room, and two extra sweeps to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything, or at least anything he couldn’t live without for the next four weeks, Mark pulled up the handle on his suitcase and rolled it to the door.

Stuffed into his coat pocket he had his final scores from all his classes, and he couldn’t wait to match them up and compare them to his friend’s scores. Technically school had ended a week previous for the younger students, and most of the them, including Jackson and JB and his other friends, were long gone. But Mark had stayed after to finish the class work he’d missed after his uncle had … after Mark had almost died. There had been a few tests to take, aptitude assessments, and paperwork to clear up.

However, now he was clear and free and more than ready to get away for the break between semesters. He needed it, too, not only to start throwing himself into the business end of the family he now represented, but also to relax with some of the few people he still trusted. That list was embarrassingly short. 

He was just out into the hallway, closing his door behind him when he heard Kyuhyun offer, “Need help?”

Mark hoisted his backpack up over one shoulder and shook his head. “I’ve only got one suitcase. One of these days I’m going to be surprised that I don’t have more stuff.”

Kyuhyun strolled over to him, out of his uniform finally, with the upper level students having finished at almost the same time Mark had.

“This is it for you, isn’t it?” Mark asked, struck by the idea that come January he wouldn’t see Kyuhyun anymore--at least on school grounds. He wouldn’t see a lot of the upper division students that he’d gotten to know over the months. They were moving on, graduating, and while Mark would see some of them later on, he wouldn’t see them all. “This was your last semester?”

“It’s been a long time coming,” Kyuhyun said, not without relief. “And even I have to admit the timing is perfect. Graduating from Hawthorne and taking on full time responsibilities as the head of my family is going to make things much easier.”

Mark groaned. He didn’t even want to think about the coming work load his future had in store for him. Since his uncle’s passing Mark had been accosted by lawyers and arbiters and a whole truckload of people who managed his family’s finances and legalities. His uncle, no matter what, had kept the family afloat quite prosperously, and with a great deal of work. Now it all fell on Mark, from the business deals, to the property management, to every little detail. The next few years would be chalk full of him learning the ropes, and in particular this summer, he’d be taking crash courses in business and economics and management. It was all very overwhelming. Several of his older cousins and family members had already stepped up to help while he found his footing, but the task at hand was daunting.

“I may need your advice,” Mark admitted, pushing at the hair across his forehead. “Once you get this heir business down, can I call on you?”

Kyuhyun gave him the kindest smile Mark had ever seen from the older boy. “You and I, Mark, we’re family. You can call upon me for anything.”

Mark grinned back. “Thanks.” They were sort of like brothers. They’d bonded enough to call each other that.

“But I suspect,” Kyuhyun said, “that you have more of a knack for this than you give yourself credit for. Especially with your recent propositions to the council.”

Mark leaned back a little against his closed door. “I cast my vote not to change the treaty because I knew that if it was revoked, we’d be essentially going to war with the humans. I cast it back then knowing that my uncle was going to go after everyone I loved because of my decision, and I felt so guilty. But I knew it was the right choice.”

“But?”

“But,” Mark sighed, “we also need to take a long hard look on how we’re constantly in danger of invalidating the treaty with the way we treat the humans. We shut them out. We don’t cooperate with them. I’m not saying we have to be friends, but we need to learn how to communicate with them properly. There are so few of us left, Kyuhyun. We need them. We need to work with them.”

Kyuhyun laughed, “That’s rather progressive of you, Mark.”

“Desperate, you mean.” Mark started edging his way towards the nearby stairwell. “In spite of all the terrible things that my uncle did, the unforgivable things, he exposed the weakness in the treaty for what it is. We got lucky this time that it was a manufactured strike by the humans, and not the real thing. Next time, if we let there be a next time, it will be real.”

Mark took the stairs easily, lifting his case with him, feeling only a twinge of pain in his knee as he walked. His uncle, right before the end, had shattered the bones in his knee. Even with his accelerated healing, it had taken almost six weeks to walk without a limp. 

“Like I said,” Kyuhyun replied, right behind him, “I think you have more of a place on the council than you give yourself credit for. You have intuition for these things, Mark. Not many council members can claim that.”

“At least I won’t have to think about the council for the next several weeks. Or school. I just want to relax and enjoy myself,” Mark called over his shoulder.

They were almost down on the ground level by the time Kyuhyun asked, “Will you be staying with friends? Despite how busy you’re about to become, you will always be welcome in my home, Mark.”

“Jackson,” Mark said, blushing a little. “I’m staying with Jackson. My boyfriend. He invited me to spend the winter break with him. Almost all my direct family is gone, and his, well, they don’t really pay attention to him at all. So we’re going to keep each other company.”

“Conveniently without parental supervision,” Kyuhyun chuckled. “That’s a sixteen year old’s dream.”

It struck Mark in one horrible second that Kyuhyun was in a similar situation. The older vampire’s mother was long dead, and Mark’s uncle had helped killed his sister. Kyuhyun had his father, but by all accounts he was hardly there anymore. Plus, Grace and Kyuhyun had always made time for each other around the winter holidays. This would be the first year he didn’t have her to wish him a merry Christmas and happy new year.

“Do you,” Mark said carefully, not wanting to upset him, “have somewhere to go? Someone to stay with? Because if not I can make a quick call to Jackson and--”

Kyuhyun held up a hand. “I’m going to be staying with Changmin and his family. But thank you for the offer. Not that I think, had I taken you up on it, that your boyfriend would be nearly as thankful.”

They walked along the deserted hallway, towards the front entrance to the dormitory building, and Mark tried not to imagine how the school would seem just a bit more lonely next term without Kyuhyun there.

“You might, however, consider extending your offer to your cousin.”

Mark look to Kyuhyun with a frown. “Henry?”

“Are you still avoiding him?”

Mark gave a strong exhale. “I’m not avoiding him. I was just giving him some space. Things are strained between us, but I’m not avoiding him.”

“Are you certain he knows that?” Kyuhyun questioned. “You were suspiciously absent when it came time for the council’s ruling on the matter of his involvement with your uncle’s actions. And there was a marked difference in your relationship after his full testimony.”

Mark made a face. “Suspicious? Come on, you know I couldn’t have helped decide. He’s my cousin and I love him. He’s apologized a million times and I’ve forgiven him a million times. I’d skew the decision if I got involved with anything related to the matter. And it’s not as if I blame him. What he said to the council didn’t make me think differently of him, because I do understand the circumstances.”

Kyuhyun held the front door open for Mark and said, “I guarantee you that he still feels like there’s bad blood between you two. I spoke to him during the ruling and he thought for certain that your lack of presence told him everything he needed to know.”

“That’s just crazy,” Mark remarked.

“Then go tell him that,” Kyuhyun said, giving Mark a push.

Just ahead, seated almost lonely on a bench, was Henry.

“I’ll see you around,” Kyuhyun said as a parting. “And have a good winter break.”

“Wait,” Mark called out, voice going thin. 

“Yes?” Kyuhyun asked.

Mark fumbled for a moment, then said, “I … I’ll be looking through my family’s records over this break. Intensely. I hope to find some personal records of the sort. For posterity’s sake, of course.”

Kyuhyun gave pause, head tilting, then offered, “That’s quite the coincidence. I’ll be looking through records myself. I’d like to familiarize myself with the financial records of the council and the system in which they’re recorded. Grace often chided me about being neglectful in the more technical aspects of the council.”

With a firm nod, Mark told him, “I wish you all the luck in the world.”

“I don’t need luck,” Kyuhyun insisted. “I have motivation.”

There was no guarantee that either of them, nor Taekwoon or Sooyoung would find anything relating to the underground group of vampires who were conspiring against the fragile peace they had. And it was less likely that they’d discover any hard proof about the woman orchestrating it all. But it was their current mission, as if there weren’t enough demands on them already.

Mark, after spending quality time with Jackson and getting started on learning how to run his family, was personally going to tear through everything that had belonged to his uncle. Mark was determined to find something--anything, and he knew Kyuhyun was too.

“I’ll see you, Kyuhyun,” Mark called to him.

“You will,” Kyuhyun returned, then set off opposite of Mark.

It wasn’t long before Mark, making his way toward one of the school’s parking lots, spotted the very cousin that he and Kyuhyun had spoken of.

Mark had half a mind to duck away before Henry saw him, the air already feeling thin between them. But instead he took in the way Henry looked so dejected sitting on a nearby bench and Mark’s heart went out to him right away.

“Henry!” he called, puling his suitcase after him as he walked. 

“Mark.” Henry got to his feet right away, a cautious look on his face.

“Henry,” Mark repeated, forcing a pleasant look to his face. “I would have thought you’d left already.”

“I’m waiting for Amber,” Henry said, nodding towards the direction of the girl’s dorm. “She stopped to talk to some friends of hers and get the last of her summer assignments.” Henry gave him a once over. “Where’s Zhou Mi? Or Hoya and Dongwoo? You shouldn’t be out without any of them watching after you.”

“Zhou Mi is waiting with the car,” Mark said easily. “He’s going to take me to the airport right after that. I’m staying with Jackson for winter break. Remember? Hoya and Dongwoo are going to meet me at the airport.”

“I do remember,” Henry said gently. “I got the email you sent me a few days ago.”

Mark tried not to wince. Maybe an impersonal email wasn’t the best way to have broken the news to Henry, who probably had expected Mark to accompany him for the winter break. And it did make him seem like he was punishing Henry in some way … which wasn’t fair. Henry had been punished enough.

Henry’s father was dead. This was something that clouded Mark’s thoughts several times a day, but he was just now beginning to realize what it meant for other people. Henry’s father was dead now, just like his mom, and he didn’t have anyone else. He didn’t have any family left or anywhere to go. He had a box of ashes containing a vampire who, as far as vampire society was concerned, could never be acknowledged, remembered or even spoken of again. And that was it.

“I can stay,” Mark said on a whim, thinking back to the few rare winter holidays that he’d stayed with his uncle, playing with Henry for days on end, building forts out of sheets and pillows, playing in the snow, and just being best friends. “I can spend the winter break with you. Or you can come with me to Santa Monica.”

Weakly, Henry said, “I’m going to be okay, Mark. I’m going to stay with Amber’s family, actually. But maybe after? I know I can’t … help you with any business aspects of our family personally, not now with my restrictions, but I’m always here for advice. I’m always here just to listen if you need me. If you ever want me.”

“Henry.” Mark took him by the hand and tugged him back down onto the bench. “I hate this. I hate what’s happened to our relationship. Tiptoeing around each other. It’s ridiculous.”

“It’s not,” Henry said, clenching his eyes shut, head bowing down. “And it’s all my fault. I deserve this. This is what I get. And you can’t feel bad at all. This is on me.”

“I’ve forgiven you.”

“I can’t forgive myself.”

“Henry.” Mark put his hand on Henry’s shoulder.

“How could I forgive myself?

“Because it wasn’t your fault?” Mark offered. “Not really. Not deliberately.”

Henry gave a choked laugh, thin and angry sounding. “I knew something was wrong. For months before, Mark, I knew. I knew my father was having shady meetings with mysterious people, and coveting secrets and gearing up for something huge. And then my father came to me and he said we were going to visit you and your family, and I was supposed to take you way from the house no matter what. I was under his orders to take you far away and not let you come back until just before sunrise. I gave him and his men the opening to do that to Joey and Tammy. Their blood is on my hands. My cousins.”

Mark had heard this before. He’d heard the whole story. The entire council had.

“Henry,” Mark reasoned, “your father threatened you. He threatened Amber, if you didn’t do what he said. And that was before he even knew about the baby.”

Henry gave a shaky nod. “He said he’d terminate the match if I didn’t do exactly what he said, or if I failed. He didn’t need your mother’s permission to do it, either. Not in this instance.”

Because Mark knew now the deepest secret that Amber, Henry and Zhou Mi had been hiding, the kind that could ruin them all. He knew the secret that was more precious than the baby who would end up being Mark’s second cousin and temporary heir.

Amber had human blood in her line. She wasn’t as pureblood as her family purported to be. Amber’s blood was diluted by a sixteenth and it was enough to get a match called off. And the baby invalidated. And a whole other slew of unfair, archaic and horrible things. 

“I will not hold you accountable for protecting Amber, no matter what happened from it,” Mark declared. “Especially since you didn’t know what you father planned. You’re not to blame for being manipulated out of fear.” It wasn’t the same as Siwon, who’d done things for greedy and indulging reasons.

“But I knew afterwards,” Henry said, shoulders slumping. “How could I not? I was told to take you away specifically, and it just happened to be the moment that your parents and Grace were killed and the fire was set. I knew it was my father’s fault. I knew it was him, but I let myself pretend like it wasn’t because I knew it would break us all if I didn’t. I believed that because he’d been hurt in the attack too, that maybe he was innocent, and that I was just being too hard on him--I hadn’t exactly been a model son.”

“I suppose then,” Mark said slowly, “that you’ll want me to blame you for everything that happened afterwards?”

“Yes.”

There was no denying that Mark had spent weeks after hearing the full confession from Henry, just being angry. He’d kept his distance from his cousin, even giving him the cold shoulder, and he hadn’t wanted to believe that his whole family was filled with people like Henry and his uncle. But eventually, time had dulled the pain, and he’d started to rationalize the situation.

The anger was gone now. Only the disappointment remained. The kind that would linger for decades.

“You can’t be serious,” Mark said.

Henry shrugged. “On my father’s orders I deliberately looked the other way the day the slur was written on your door, and ignored the vampire I knew he hired to try and manipulate your feelings with the threat. And I’m the one who got the keycard to your room for the vampire that broke in and trashed it, trying to provoke you again. I did all that, Mark. I did it and it was cowardly. I should have just … I should have …”

“Hey.” Mark wrapped his older, trembling cousin up into a tight hug. “I love you, okay? You did some pretty crappy things, but you didn’t mean to hurt me. You were trying to keep Amber safe, and I don’t blame you, no matter how much you blame yourself. I’m forgiving you. It’s time for you to forgive yourself.”

Henry gave another shudder. “I deserve the punishment I got. I deserve worse. I hurt you so badly, Mark. I love you. I’m so sorry.”

Mark stroked Henry’s back. “I know you are. I know.”

From across the courtyard he could see Amber making her way towards them. The curve of her stomach was much more pronounced now, clearly indicating a pregnancy, and she wasn’t attempting to hide it anymore. Mark didn’t know for certain if she or Henry would be back for another semester at Hawthorne, but he hoped they were. He’d gladly take babysitting duty if it meant getting to keep them close to them.

“Everything okay here?” Amber asked softly, dragging her fingers through her hair. She’d worn it short for as long as Mark could remember, what felt like forever, but it was starting to grow out now, curling at the edges. “Henry? Mark?”

“We’re fine,” Mark said, giving Henry’s back one more round of patting. Then he was reaching out for her, letting his fingers brush over the material stretched across her stomach. “How’s my niece or nephew?”

“Hungry,” Amber said decisively. She pressed Mark’s hand more firmly against the swell. “Feel that?”

The flutter of movement was something that was incredibly recent, but Mark felt it as often as he could, still as amazed by it as Henry seemed to be. Amber always just looked indifferent to the movement, other than when she claimed it tickled.

“Hungry,” she said again.

With wet eyes, Henry doing his best to wipe away the evidence, he stood and said, “Then I should get you two something to eat.”

Mark looked back down to her stomach. It would be months more before the baby came and any of them knew whether it was a girl or a boy, but regardless the baby was something monumentally important to the fourth family. Because this baby, this precious baby, was Mark’s heir. The last of his line. Especially in light of Henry being removed from the line of inheritance and forbidden from having an association with the council as his punishment.

Maybe one day Mark would have children of his own, and the line of succession would change. But for the moment this baby was the future of the fourth family, and Mark couldn’t wait to spoil it and love it and make sure it understood how much it was wanted. He couldn’t wait until the baby was old enough to learn about all the family members who would have loved it, and hear all the stories about them that Mark had to tell.

“--after Henry’s mother.”

“Huh?” 

“Is your brain working?” Amber teased, knocking her knuckles gently against Mark’s head. “I said, we decided we’re going to name the baby Sam. After Henry’s mother. Well, if it’s a boy it’ll be Samuel, but if it’s a girl, it’ll be Samantha, just like her. Sam for short.”

Another namesake. Mark didn’t know how he felt about that.

No. He took it back. He had a much better feeling about this one. This baby, Sam, would be a fine reminder of Henry’s mother. Not all namesake needed to have bad associations with them.

“Do you want us to walk you to your car?” Henry asked, his arm slipping around Amber’s waist. 

“No, no,” Mark waved them off. “I can make it just fine on my own. And don’t you two have your own plane to catch?”

Henry gave a nod. “To Massachusetts.”

“Then go,” Mark shooed good naturedly. “We all have winter holidays to get ready for.” Mark gave a pause, then turned to Henry and said, “We’ll see each other afterwards, okay? Because we’re family, and we love each other. We make mistakes and we sometimes do regretful things, but we’re all we have left. We will get through this.”

Mark had to endure being smothered by hugs for a few more seconds, then Henry and Amber were heading off in one direction and Mark was going in the other.

“We’re running behind schedule,” Zhou Mi lectured the moment Mark was close enough. He worked quickly to lift Mark’s suitcase into the trunk as Mark got in the car.

If Mark had spent the past five weeks avoiding Henry, then he’d spent the same amount of time being overshadowed by Zhou Mi who seemed to be convinced that some of his uncle’s old associates were lurking around corners and under his bed, laying in wait to attack. For the most part Hoya and Dongwoo had hung back, following him but keeping their distance. Zhou Mi was boarding on being a bit too suffocating.

But fear did that kind of thing, and Mark didn’t know how long it would take for all of them not to be so scared.

The guilt that Zhou Mi apparently felt for letting Mark be cornered by his uncle and snatched away while the council had been under attack, was so suffocating sometimes Mark wondered how Zhou Mi managed to breathe at all. It hadn’t been Zhou Mi’s fault in the least, but unwarranted guilt seemed to be a thing going around. 

“It’s a private jet,” Mark reminded when Zhou Mi was behind the driver’s wheel and starting the car. “It can’t exactly leave without me.”

Zhou Mi gave him a displeased look. “Your timetable is not a recommendation.”

As the car drew through the underground parking lot, Mark wondered, “Are you my match or my assistant?”

With a straight face, Zhou Mi said, “Both, apparently.”

Mark slumped in his seat. “That’s another thing we need to work on soon. I promised Jackson that I’d end my match with you as quickly as possible. But I’m not going to do anything to endanger you or your sister. There has to be a solution in here somewhere. I just have to find it.”

Zhou Mi said quickly, “I believe you very much when you say that. You’ve been very clear and I accept your decision. A solution will present itself. I trust you.

“It’s not that I think being matched to you is so horrible,” Mark corrected, “you know I like you a lot. I just mean …” He broke off with a wince. “Whether I choose to explore these feelings I have for you or not, and whether they mean something or not, has nothing to do with us being matched. I just don’t want that hanging over me, threatening to hurt the both of us. Give me just a little time, okay? Give me freedom and time and I will work this out.”

He knew he’d said something unexpected by the way Zhou Mi’s head cocked. “You do realize this shouldn’t solely be on your shoulders, correct? You just turned sixteen.”

Mark confessed, “I’m the head of my family. You know what that means. Plus, I don’t feel like I’m alone in this. You and I are going to work together to find a solution. We’ll figure it out, and fast. Nothing will happen to your sister, Zhou Mi. Her or her happiness. You have my word, and my word is good.”

“It is,” Zhou Mi agreed gently. “And thank you.”

Mark had made a vow, on the day he’d become the head of his family, never to make claims he didn’t intend to keep. His word would mean everything, and he’d make sure it wasn’t compromised in any way. Other vampires would come to respect his mere word. This was just the start.

They drove for a while longer, the airport not that far away, and when they were close enough to see the signs indicating the passenger drop off zone, Zhou Mi said, “I have to say one last time, I wish you would reconsider the match remaining between us. It would be incredibly beneficial to you for the next few decades, to say the least. And we live very long lives, Mark. You need not be tied to me forever. Especially not once you’re situated and strong as the head of the fourth family.”

Mark shook his head. “I just promised you--”

“I believe you on that,” Zhou Mi said quickly. “I’m speaking about the relationship we have in relation to the benefits for your bloodline. And if you … if you choose to have a more personal, even romantic relationship on the side, I could come to accept that.”

“Zhou Mi,” Mark eased out, feeling his palms sweat. “I … couldn’t do that to you. To you or anyone else. Not knowing that you care for me in a romantic way.”

“I am very much in love with you,” Zhou Mi corrected openly. “What I feel for you is what I have always hoped to feel for the person I planned to marry. Regardless of the status of our match, I wish you would reconsider us. You could come to love me. Many matched couples do.”

“I have Jackson,” Mark said gingerly. “And I can’t say I love him, not in the way you so easily say you love me, but I care for him. I like him. I want to be with him. I know that hurts you, and I’m so sorry that it does, but whether or not we’re matched, he’s the one I want. I value you so much, as a friend and as a confidant and as the most loyal person I have ever met in my life. You are indescribable and irreplaceable. And yes, I have some kind of feelings for you, the kind that are confusing to say the least. But there’s nothing confusing about what I feel for Jackson. Nothing right now.”

The loading zone was just up ahead, and Zhou Mi pulled in expertly.

Zhou Mi’s voice was deceptively even as he questioned, “Right now?”

“Of course,” Mark said, reached out for him. “I don’t know what the future is going to bring. I only know that I want to be in control of it. Years from now I could be so desperately in love with Jackson I’ll want to marry him. Or … I could feel that way about you. Like I said, I can’t see the future from where I’m standing. But I’m going to pick the path I walk. I’m going to choose the relationships I have. I will be in control.”

Zhou Mi leaned over suddenly and pressed his mouth against Mark’s. It was a chaste kiss, no heat behind it, but instead what felt like a promise.

“One year from now,” Zhou Mi said, “or one hundred, I will be here for you. I will be waiting for you.”

“I can’t ask--”

“I, like you, Mark, have chosen to be in control of my own future as well. I choose to wait for you, at least until you return my affections or I find another calling in life. No matter what, I will be the one choosing what I do.”

Then Zhou Mi was kissing him again, much harder, and Mark fell into it. It was an amazing kiss. The kind that Mark had been sure only Jackson was capable of. The type that had Mark kissing back desperately, determined to consume every bit that Zhou Mi had to offer, pulling at his shirt and forsaking all need for oxygen.

When they broke apart, a car horn startling them, Zhou Mi said, “I will not be sorry for kissing you.”

Mark felt like he was seconds from heatstroke despite the gloomy, cold weather. “But I …”

“Neither,” Zhou Mi said, pushing the button on the center consul to pop the trunk, “will I kiss you again. Not until you ask me to.”

Mark tore himself from the car, dashing back to the trunk on unsteady feet. A few seconds later he was standing clear of the car, suitcase in front of him. From the corner of his eye he could already see Dongwoo in his periphery, waiting patiently.

A car was honking again but Mark couldn’t look away from Zhou Mi who was staring back.

“What if I never ask?” Mark called to him through the lowered window. Cold air pushed so harshly at him he was almost taken off his feet. 

Zhou Mi slid the car into park and called back to Mark, “Then the never ending wait will be a sweet one nonetheless. Enjoy your vacation, Mark.”

Mark watched him drive away and had never felt more confused about his heart in his life.

“Prince Mark?” Dongwoo called, moving to his side. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Mark said, feeling breathless from the kiss and the absurdity of how it had made him feel. “Where’s … ah, where’s Hoya?”

Dongwoo thumbed towards the direction of the tarmac. “He’s with the pilot, going over the flight itinerary. Santa Monica’s getting hit by a pretty bad storm right now. It should pass mostly by the time touch down, but we might hit the tail end of it. It’s probably going to be pretty bumpy getting to your boy.”

Mark felt his chest seize up as he turned fully to Dongwoo. “I need you not to say that.” Of the two of them, Dongwoo was far more playful than Hoya. He liked to joke around, and be less formal. Hoya was the stickler for propriety. But Mark was still very aware of how bad things could go for himself and Zhou Mi if anyone ever truly got wind of how serious Mark’s relationship with Jackson was, at least while a match was still in place. “Jackson is … not my match …”

“Hey,” Dongwoo said in a sober way, head bowing. “Prince Mark. I will never judge you on your choices, or criticize you, or anything like that. You have my absolute loyalty.”

“Okay,” Mark breathed out. Letting Dongwoo take his suitcase.

It was certainly unexpected when Dongwoo added, “Also, Prince Mark? My job, my only purpose in life as of right now, is to keep you safe. That means not only your life, but your feelings and reputation as well. Anything you do or say around me, is protected. The same goes for Hoya.”

This time Mark gave him a full smile, and said genuinely, “Thank you, Dongwoo.”

“Come on,” Dongwoo said, nudging him. “We’re supposed to leave any second now.”

The flight to Santa Monica was a relatively short, but certainly not smooth one, in which Mark couldn’t help feeling absolutely claustrophobic despite the near empty plane. Part of him wanted to turn back right away and figure out his feelings for Zhou Mi. But the other part of him, the one that he valued just as much, told him that his feelings for Jackson were no joke. They were very real. 

For the most part Dongwoo and Hoya gave him space, talking with each other quietly while Mark gazed out the plane window absently and mused. 

Was it possible to love two people at once? Mark doubted he loved either male at the moment, but it was possible he was slowly falling in love with both of them. They each had admirable, incredibly attractive qualities, both were loyal and reliable, and both were easy to care for.

By the time the plane was touching down, and Hoya was relaying to Mark the information of the hotel he and Dongwoo would be staying at nearby, Mark still hadn’t come to any kind of determination with how his heart was leaning.

The beach house that Jackson’s parents owned was a three story, pale yellow building with floor to ceiling windows on the first two levels that must have been absolutely brilliant in the summer. For right now it was just one house among many on a frigidly cold stretch of beach.

Mark likely stood on the front door’s porch for almost ten minutes, shivering in the cold as he tried to work up the courage to ring the doorbell. He hesitated because of the kiss he’d shared with Zhou Mi. That was cheating, right? Not that Zhou Mi had kissed him, but that Mark had kissed back. How could he face Jackson as a cheater? A very confused cheater at that. He’d sworn never again after their previously shared kissed, and still he’d allowed it to happen. 

He felt like trash over the whole matter.

When he did finally ring the doorbell it was more due to the weather, and less about having made a decision. 

Jackson threw it open with a huge grin and nearly shouted, “You’re here!” He swept Mark up and off his feat so easily that Mark felt weightless. He locked his arms around Jackson’s neck as they spun, the wind batting around them, the clouds threatening to drop rain at any moment.

“I said I’d come, didn’t I?”

Jackson wasted no time reaching forward to frame Mark’s face with his hands before leaning in for a deep kiss. 

Jackson’s kiss felt no different from Zhou Mi’s. Just as enjoyable. Just as knee shaking. So Mark kissed back, truly enjoying it, Zhou Mi almost slipping from his mind.

“Get out of the shitty weather!” Jackson declared, dragging Mark in and slamming the door behind him. “I’ve got the heater cranked up and I just ordered food. It’ll be here soon.” Jackson lifted Mark’s suitcase and demanded, “Do you have everything you own in here? Why is this thing so heavy?”

Technically, he wasn’t wrong, but Mark said instead, “Too heavy for you? I can carry it myself, then.”

“No!” Jackson made a show of hefting the large suitcase over his head. “See! You can feel free to refer to me as Superman from now on.”

Mark pecked him on the cheek and moved pass. “Sure thing, Superman.”

In moments like these, with Mark torn between the irrational love he was starting to feel for two very different people, he would have given anything to have his mom to talk to. Or his dad, who probably would make less of a deal about it than his mother would. Maybe they wouldn’t have had answers for him, but they’d have been able to steer him in the right direction towards making the right decision.

“I ordered Thai,” Jackson called, heading up the stairs with Mark’s suitcase. “You like Thai, right? Great flavors. If you’re eating for taste and only taste, you gotta prioritize the taste.”

Mark missed his family so much. He missed everything about them. 

“Thai is fine,” Mark answered, his voice cracking a little.

But he’d be okay without them. 

He was a survivor. 

He would make it.

And whoever the woman was, the one truly responsible for everything that had happened, and for whatever reason, Mark was coming for her. He couldn’t have killed is uncle, his own family, and kept his soul. But the woman in power? He could kill her--would kill her, and he would have his revenge. Then everyone she’d hurt, including his family, could rest easy. Mark wouldn’t stop until it happened. No matter what it took.

 

_____________________________________

 

That’s it. Seriously. After months of edits, rewrites, posting, fixing, comment replying, gushing my thanks for all the support, and an endless amount of patience on both sides, this story is done. At least for now. There is a sequel planned, it is outlined though because I’ve committed to a secret-Santa type event, it hasn’t been written yet. But I know exactly how this story wraps up, and if you’re made it this far, I hope you want all the last answers as much as I do. Several more stories I’ve already written and edited are slated to go up before it, so look for the second part to this story starting in the new year.

But mostly this is the part where I say thank you. Thank you everyone. Comments are nice and appreciated, but definitively not required. So thank you to everyone who followed this story’s progress, commented when they felt like it, and showed their support in any way. Thank you to the people who’s user names I began to recognize chapter after chapter, and thank you to even the people who just lurked around. Lurking is cool too.

Therefore, because this is the end, this is the only time I will ever ask for feedback. This is the only time I will ask readers to leave comments letting me know what they thought. Because I do want to know, now that the picture is much more clear, what’s going through your minds. Hated something? Loved something? What did you think of the politics? The romance? The mystery? I don’t care what you’re thoughts are, just tell them to me. And will you be coming back for the sequel? Let me know.

As always, I am humbled and appreciative of each and every one of you. I write these stories for fun, for myself, and not for any kind of praise or recognition. But when even one person lets me know they’re enjoying, and wants more, it’s all the motivation in the world. See you guys next time!


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